Happy Tuesday friends!

[Quick Announcements]

1. I have finally gotten around to creating a DeviantArt account and will be using it to share any sketches/artwork I do for FTTD. So, if you're interested in seeing visuals for this fic, feel free to visit me in the art world under the username LokaMuse
2. This was a quick update because I'm on vacation, (woo!) on average, updates will likely not be this frequent.

This chapter jumps POV a lot. Not every battle will be detailed entirely, or we would be stuck on this event for the multiple chapters, and I think that would get dull. So hopefully the following satisfies the battle anticipation.

~Onward

47

-Fairy Tail-

Just before eleven Natsu shouted his farewells over the noise of his friends and acquaintances still partying around the establishment and exited Bar Sun. Most of the mages competing the following afternoon had already left as well, citing the need for a solid sleep to prepare for the next day. Natsu adjusted the stabilizing arm he had around Lucy when she stumbled drunkenly over the curb outside their hotel. She reattached herself more firmly to his arm with a series of giggles. The lobby of the Honey Bone Inn was unsurprisingly vacant when they entered. Lucy tugged on his arm for attention, staring up at him with bright eyes, "Natshuuu carry me!"

He rolled his eyes at the predictable request but could never deny her. Dipping his weight low enough for her to scramble on to his back, he smiled fondly when she gave a happy purr once she was situated. Her breasts pressing firmly into his back only added to his anticipation of the reward the blonde promised earlier. He headed straight for the stairs but was stopped by the receptionist calling to him. Pausing with a foot on the bottom step, he looked her way questioningly. Unfazed by the interruption, Lucy pulled at his scarf and began licking at the skin of his throat as she exposed it, all the way to the shell of his ear. He swatted at her half-heartedly, trying to focus.

"You have some visitors Mr. Dragneel," the young woman informed him, "I told them you and Mr. Marius were out, but they insisted on waiting."

Natsu released an exacerbated sigh, 'how had Haru made it passed her?' he wondered enviously. Lucy had halted her teasing as well, sobering significantly at the exchange. "Fuck sakes… they picked a fine time for a visit…"

"They're in the common room," the receptionist added apologetically. With another irritated breath, Natsu thanked her and begrudgingly changed course, heading down the hall toward the lounge at the back of the Inn. He spotted the head of white hair that belonged to Yukino almost immediately, surprised to find her in company with the white and shadow slayers. Rogue inclined his head slightly in a refined greeting and Sting clicked his tongue when his partner elbowed him. "Thanks for seeing us…" he grumbled, glaring at Rogue from the corner of his eye.

Natsu nodded, about to respond when Lucy beat him to it, learning further over his shoulder as her hands slithered down his chest. He couldn't be sure if she was doing that on purpose or if it was just a side effect of her attempting to balance herself as she asked, "I thought you were turning in for the night Yukino?"

"I had planned to, but these two," she waved at her guildmates with an air of resignation, "begged me to come along when they found out I had just been with you all…" Natsu raised a brow, apparently Yukino was done hiding her friendships within Fairy Tail from her Guild then.

"We did not beg—" Sting denied hotly.

Yukino rolled her eyes, crossing her arms under her generous bust but Natsu just chuckled. "Well, you're in luck she agreed to come, she's the only Tiger I currently like," he said dismissively, but the smile he wore showed there was no real animosity behind his words. He adjusted Lucy's weight on his back because she didn't appear to be removing herself from the spot she'd claimed quite yet, and gestured for the Tigers to follow. "Well, come on then," he said, heading back toward the stairs without checking to see if they were complying.

"Wait—" Sting called sharply, Natsu returned his attention to the blonde man again to find skepticism. Sting shifted his weight uncomfortably under his gaze, "why… why do you want to help us after… everything…" he trailed off.

Natsu's expression softened into a subtle lopsided smile, "Believe it or not, we were all friends once."

"Wha—"

"Not here man, just come on, would you?" His unexpected guests finally acquiesced and trailed after him in silence. Though Yukino chattered happily with Lucy as though the two stellar mages hadn't seen each other a mere hour ago. A couple floors up he unlocked the door to his and Lucy's room and nudged the door open with his elbow before catching Sting's eye. "You can wait here… I'm gonna grab Haru."

Damned if Haru was getting out of this...

"Haru was here the whole time?!" Sting barked in displeasure, "we've been wait—"

Yukino cuffed him in the back of the head and fixed him with a disapproving look before shoving him roughly into the room. Rogue followed silently. "Come on Yukino… you 'n' Luce can keep Mira company," Natsu offered.

"I wanted to hear the story!"

"You know the story," he replied with a dry laugh, vaguely noticing the Twin Dragon's stunned looks at realizing just how close their own stellar mage apparently was with him and Haru.

"Yeah Yukino! Come on, girls' night!" Lucy cheered.

"You do remember there's a big match tomorrow… right?" Natsu drawled as he left the door open and led the way. He came to a stop in front of Haru's and Mira's suite and rapped on the door, grinning mirthfully when his enhanced hearing picked up a muffled curse and shuffling that filtered through the door. Minutes ticked by and Natsu knocked on the door again.

"You're sure they're in there?" Lucy asked him.

Humming his confirmation, Natsu tapped his nose and glanced over the two stellar mages. "Pay back is a bitch," he said with cryptic smugness. The girls exchanged a look lacking comprehension as Natsu knocked the back of his knuckles against the door again without looking away from them. His grin widening to bare more glinting fang in his amusement when the door was finally pried open, revealing a very unamused water slayer. "Natsu…"

"Haru," Natsu replied nonchalantly with a giant grin still firmly in place, eyes flicking over his partner's shoulder as Mira came up behind him. Wrapped in only a bed sheet, she shamelessly draped herself over Haru's back and began stroking the muscle of his chest. Her blue eyes swept up to Natsu's, glittering with predictable mischief. "Ne Natsu… we were just getting to the good part," she whined.

"You and Haru have each interrupted my fun so many times, I've lost count…" Natsu retorted.

"So that's how it's gonna be… pay back's a bitch, huh?" she said with a smirk, echoing his earlier statement. By the look on her face, Natsu got the feeling he was playing with fire… the last thing he needed was to start this particular war with the She-Devil. He may never finish again.

"Ah." Both Yukino and Lucy said in unison, now that the pieces of the puzzle had clicked into place as the close friends chatted. Natsu lowered Lucy to her feet and glimpsed the bright vibrant blush across Yukino's cheeks at the implications of their banter. Her eyes were shifting between Mira and Haru, who had yet to say a thing but looked no less unimpressed.

Natsu smacked the back of his hand against his fellow slayer's chest, "Get dressed Haru.. we have company to entertain."

"You're joking…" Haru bit out, "it's near midnight and they pick now for a visit?!" He stalked back into the room, leaving the door open for the visiting trio to enter behind him. He pulled on a pair of pants and a green top as Mira reappeared from the adjoining bathroom in a satin robe and moved to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth.

"Go," she told him before leaning in to whisper next to his ear, eyes on Natsu, "just don't be gone too long…I am not getting any less wet." Haru's head tipped back as he groaned at her antics and she winked at Natsu, fully aware he'd have overheard. Natsu shook his head, chuckling as Lucy pulled him down by his scarf, he accepted a quick kiss from his own girl friend before departing.

Haru ran his hands through his hair irritably as he led Natsu out of his room. "If I had no reason to dislike those idiots before…" Haru muttered as they made their way down the hall.

"Man, I hear ya… I had plans to bend Lucy over every surface—"

"Spare me the details Natsu, I already know far too much about your sex life."

"You aren't alone on that one, Mira can be incredibly detail oriented…"

"What?!" Haru yelped, whirling to look at him. He shouldn't be that awed, his girlfriend was of course, the Guild's biggest gossip. Natsu thought it was funny that he'd never considered the idea that she might be detailing out their sex life to the girls…

"I'm sure Lucy and Yukino will be hearing allll about whatever we just interrupted, hmm?"

Haru groaned again, visibly sagging in defeat, "Can't just leave a guy to blissful ignorance, can you, Natsu?"

"Didja finish?"

"Oh, fuck off Natsu…"

"So that's a no…" Natsu laughed before coming to a sudden stop, eyebrows pinching together in thought as he cast an inquisitive look at his best friend. "Wait. How the hell'd you get rid of—"

"—Ice magic." Haru quickly answered, cutting Natsu's tactless line of questioning short as they crossed the threshold of the fire mage's room. Their fellow slayers turned robotically in the lounge chairs they'd taken up by the window, each sporting notably flushed cheeks. Clearly, they'd overheard his and Haru's less then hushed conversation detailing their sexual frustration on the way over, and Natsu wasn't about to let the opportunity to tease them go unchecked.

He chuckled at their obvious discomfort, "When I said you could come visit, I didn't expect you cock blockers to show up at midnight," he said emphasizing the interruption the pair presented.

Blush reaching a new intensity, Rogue immediately began babbling incoherent apologies, but Sting just gaped outright, "How could we have possibly known?!"

"Simple really. We kicked your asses today; celebrations should always entail mind-blowing sex!" Natsu announced flippantly.

Their fellow Twin Dragons deadpanned back, indignation colouring their cheeks further. Haru also wore a blank expression at his partner's blunt comment, not that he was entirely unused to Natsu's sense of humour. "Uh you know what…" Rogue finally broke the quiet, "can we just… uh, that is—why don't you just explain what exactly you meant about Skiadrum being alive?"

Sting snapped to attention at his words, quickly posturing, "And Weisslogia—I'm telling you… I remember… he died, he asked me to kill him." The light mage took a shaky breath, "said it was the only way to reach a Dragon Slayer's full potential."

"Okay, now I want you to think about what you just said…" Haru stated blandly, moving to take the desk chair as Natsu flopped onto his bed. Sting stared back uncomprehending and shared a look with the shadow mage who looked equally confused. Haru rolled his eyes, "do you honestly think your parents would have sacrificed themselves for the power level you two currently wield?"

At the indignant look crossing Sting's face again, Natsu cut in, "He's not saying you aren't powerful. But do you honestly think your power would have been worth dying for? Just think about it, me an' Haru are far more powerful, and you said it yourself... we were beyond lucky to walk away with our lives the first time we faced a dragon."

Rogue nodded thoughtfully, "Obviously Dragon Force can be achieved without slaying a dragon…" he said, "so our parents wouldn't have had us slay them just so we could achieve Force… that's what you're saying—so why then?"

"Not quite. I'm saying, your parents never let you slay them at all. They're alive. Both of them."

"Your memories were altered… all of ours were."

Battle Royale

Makarov bounded down the stairs that edged the Guild's section in the stands and hopped up onto the stone barrier beside the trio of exceeds and glanced over at Lucy seated on their other side. "Afternoon Master, just in time," she said in greeting. Her eyes were washed out in bright green, the green Natsu had explained to him meant she was currently connected to the First. She was still Lucy, but she always seemed a little lighter spirited and more playful when Mavis was present.

He dropped himself into a comfortable cross-legged position; and scratched at his beard as he scanned the multitude of lacrimatrons levitating all over Domus Flau. They were currently blank as the Battle Royale was going through final preparations. "I was speaking with Lehar," Makarov said, "seems he has recently become suspicious of Raven Tail's motives here at the Games."

"'Bout time," Lucy said with an eye roll, "anything of interest?"

"No. I was hoping to get some information as to their potential moves during today's event, but all I was able to learn is that they have managed to get a team together to compete today."

"No surprise there."

"We'll see if your team was the right move…" he responded uncertainly.

"Lucy's team won't fail."

Makarov leaned back, turning to meet the gaze of their Knight, Erza gave a reassuring smile from her seat in the front row next to Jellal. Makarov did trust Lucy's, and by extension Mavis' intuition, and the five representing the guild were no doubt uniquely powerful… His eyes flicked up to Mirajane sitting a couple rows above next to Elfman, he still wasn't sure about removing some of their strongest S class from the equation though. Erza especially. She certainly, was a match for most of the participants on the field, specifically Kagura, who's full abilities remained unknown and with the big question mark presented by Raven Tail he was feeling more than a little anxious. Not to mention, it would take a fair amount of power to challenge Lamia Scale's Jura…where was Gildarts when you needed him?
Lucy did seem confident in her strategy, though not confident enough to appear totally relaxed, there was a subtle tension to her muscles and the same air of quiet anticipation that clung to all of them.

Makarov took a steadying breath; his children wouldn't fall at the hands of some dark guild… they would come out of this victorious.

"Welcome back folks! We are surely in for a heart-pounding day today!" Chapati's voice boomed over the stadium, escalating the thrum of cheers that had remained steady for the better part of an hour. "For the conclusion of the Second Annual, Grand Magic Games, the Guilds have formed teams of five—potentially bran new—mages to duke it out in an all-out battle royale!"

Makarov rested his chin in his palm, resting his elbow on his thigh as Chapati wasted no time in commencing the match. The fireworks that signalled the start of the final event exploded in the skies over Crocus and the stadium and the lacrima screens began flickering through visuals of each team as the commentators introduced them. Starting with Raven Tail in last up to Sabertooth in second place, and as expected, most of the teams had maintained their original teams for the most part. They'd entered their elite mages to begin with and didn't have any hidden cards left to play even with the rule changes… That is, aside from Raven Tail, who had two previously unseen competitors in their ranks. A blonde man with tan skin and an animalistic grin and a woman with lavender hair and jet black eyes joined Alexei, Flare and Nullpudding.

"I haven't seen either of those two around Crocus during the Games…" Lucy mumbled, Makarov wasn't sure if she mumbling to herself or to the rest of them. He observed as the Ravens scattered, taking to the streets to, presumably, begin hunting Fairies.

A few of the screens flickered again, "Finally, with a WIDE LEAD, defending their first-place standings in this year's Games… FAIRY—Tail? ...What the?!" Chapati's introduction cut off abruptly when the visual settled on Fairy Tail's drop location, only to find the entire team obscured by a kaleidoscope of colour. Fire, lightning, and water snapped through five distinctly coloured magic auras.

A smile stretched across Lucy's face, "Go get 'em guys…" she commanded quietly.

"What's happening Pumpkins?"

The magic essence vanished all at once, and the four commentators could be heard gasping into their mics in surprise. "COOOOOOOL!" Jason's signature boisterous call shattered the announcers' shared quietude and was followed immediately by Chapati's awe laced question. "D-Dragon Slayers?! Fairy Tail has FIVE Dragon Slayers?!"

Glittering scales of colours reflecting their elements covered the limbs, faces and chests of the five mages as they turned toward each other. Laxus grinned dangerously and threw his closed fist into the air between them, "Stick to the plan," he said. His teammates threw their hands on top of his one after another, ending with Natsu's at the top.

"Alright team, let's do Fairy Tail proud!" the fire mage shouted to a chorus of agreement.

Then Natsu, Haru, Laxus and Wendy vanished leaving Gajeel alone, cracking his knuckles, canines visible in a wide grin as he turned back toward the cityscape spread before him. "Alright then. Who's first?!"

. . .

He would never admit it, but Gajeel had been elated when Lucy proposed sending all five dragon slayers in for the final event. It was no secret he'd been itching to test his power against the other Guild's elite mages… and he was as pissed as any of them that Raven Tail had dared to attack them. Pissed that Sabertooth had dared to belittle and challenge them. Pissed that the Guild he dedicated himself to, wasn't currently the indisputable and unchallenged TOP Guild in Fiore.

That was going to change, today.

Gajeel was NOT one to settle for second best.

And now he got to play a direct part in the beatdown that would return them to their former glory.

He also thought his initial task seemed like the most fun… with his own Iron Body not being of a fluid element like the others', he couldn't use Flash Steps. That meant he got to play decoy—draw out the Ravens by making a scene, and playing decoy came with the orders to take out as many of the other Guilds' non-S Class mages as possible to rack up points while the others sought out Raven Tail. The Fairies were finally on the hunt for Ravens, paying them back in kind. His comrades would be doing their best to avoid getting drawn into battle until they'd eliminated every last dark mage, if at all possible.

"More fun for me," he thought, licking his lips.

Gajeel chuckled to himself and finally strode forward with a careless air, focusing his senses for any mage unlucky enough to be caught downwind.

Haru

It was quiet.

Haru could hear battles erupting around Crocus as mages began to initiate fights all over the city, but they were far away. The sounds and reverberations muffled in their distance. The streets he currently navigated were completely silent and he wasn't picking up any presence, smell, sound, magic signature or otherwise so he released his Flash Steps. Water bursting a part as he rematerialized and seamlessly continued in a run to conserve ethernano. Only Natsu could sense demonic power, but with the dark guild's prefixation on them, he figured one of them would attack sooner or later if he just kept moving. So despite the deceptive quiet, he didn't drop his guard.

As such, when brutal strikes took him in the shoulder and back, he could be nothing less than absolutely stunned. He collided with the brick wall of a shop at the far end of the street, coughing out a lungful of air before prying his arms out of the dent his body had formed in the brick. "Damnit." he cursed irritably, straightening back to his full height to glare at Sabertooth's Twin Dragons standing on the roof of the building opposite. Both already in their respective Dragon Force states.

He watched the two for a moment as he dusted himself off, they must have used their own Flash Steps to get the jump on him. But he'd bet his next swim that their coming across him had been pure happenstance on their part. Haru released a long exhale, "I really don't have time for you two right now," he stated bluntly, and made to abandon the confrontation in a stream of water.

"We really don't give a shit what you think you have time for!" Sting retorted, crashing into him in a cloak of light to cut off his escape. Haru bared his teeth as he skid back on the balls of his feet having been knocked out of his Flash Steps. White magic pulsed around each clenched fist as Sting stared him down from another roof top. "You may have helped us out, but that doesn't mean we're just going to let you disregard the power of Sabertooth! –We're still Number One!"

"Dragon Slayer's secret arts:"

Sting launched off the building, obliterating the roof under his force and flew down at Haru encompassed by a pulse of white magic two streets wide. The structures framing the street wore away and crumbled under the pressure, "HOLY NOVA!" Sting yelled, as Haru released his own magic pressure.

Sting's eyes blew wide when the power of his spell was cancelled effortlessly, the resulting smoke screen settling around them. Bright gold eyes stared back, Haru's crystalline horns curled back along his head, he held Sting's fist in a bare hand, ice encasing the white slayer to the elbow. "I told you…" Haru started with a deadly calm, his eyes flicking passed the blonde man to his partner appearing in the air overhead. Rogue flew at them with an elbow cocked back for an Iron Fist attack. "...I don't have time for you two right now!"

Haru lunged forward and caught Sting's elbow with his free hand and swung around to throw him back at the shadow mage. Rogue quickly cancelled his attack and caught Sting with a grunt. Calling his own Secret Arts, Haru remained on the ground as water and blizzarding winds whipped up around him in a split second. He widened his stance to brace against the spell's backlash and thrust both palms forward, "Ocean's Vengeance, freezing geyser!"

A jet of water wide enough in diameter to swallow the street they stood in submerged the airborne dragon slayers, drowning their cries along with it as it froze and shattered around them.

Laxus

Something wasn't right.

Laxus had streaked along the sides of the buildings, the electricity coursing through him powerful enough to magnetize any material he stepped on. He had caught Natsu's scent and the burst in his magic signature, and wanted to see who posed enough of a threat to the fire mage to force him to use much of the power at his disposal. Laxus had caught a flag pole over a shop entrance and vaulted himself skyward, dissolving into lightning as he propelled himself through the air. He'd landed in a crouch on a roof just a block away from a battle that was giving off a stifling magic pressure.

But even laying eyes on the fight, he couldn't make sense of it.

What he was seeing, just didn't line up with his other senses.

Granted, his senses weren't as powerful as the those bestowed with the Dragon Soul ritual, they were still nothing to scoff at. Both Natsu and Haru were wrapped up in a fight with that armoured freak Alexei, Laxus sank lower against the roof, trying not to draw attention to himself yet. Haru was bleeding from a headwound, but he couldn't smell blood. Actually, he wasn't picking up Haru's scent or magic at all.

Natsu screamed in pain, as he went soaring back, shattering a storefront window. He certainly smelled blood now. Laxus' eyes narrowed, he was picking up another familiar aura, but it didn't seem to fit with Alexei and he couldn't put his finger on where he recognized it from. They still didn't know if this guy was human, or demon. He tried reaching out to Haru and found the team's telepathic link to have been severed as well, was that also interference from Alexei?

Clicking his tongue in irritation, Laxus cursed, "guess I'll just have to back 'em up and figure it out as I go," he relented to himself.

Then instinct roared at him to dodge and Laxus jumped, flipping to the side as a spire or thick red hair drilled into the clay tiles of the spot he'd just been occupying. "Well now," he muttered as he stood to his full height. Without looking toward the assailant he knew to be behind him, he raised a hand into the air and snapped his fingers. A giant bolt of lightning struck from the sky and tore a screech of startled agony from Flare, Laxus turned and glared down at the singed heap of the dark mage. She whined pathetically as he closed the gap between them and ripped her off the roof, electricity crackled around the fist that restrained her.

Laxus pointed to the Twin Dragon's ongoing fight behind him, "spill it. What is the armour freak's power?" he demanded.

Muscles still twitching under the static that accosted her limbs, Flare shook her head fearfully, "I-I can't tell you that, you don't know how ruthless they can be—what they'd do if I—"

Laxus leaned in, eyes narrowing further, "you are at the mercy of someone far scarier if you don't start talking."

Releasing a squeak of fear, Flare cringed back in his clutches, "illusions and Shinigami magic! What you're seeing is just an illusion!" she yelped.

Tossing her to the side carelessly, Laxus vaguely registered the commentators adding another point to Fairy Tail's score at Flare's defeat, but he couldn't care less right now.

He was going to shatter that illusion, and Alexei along with it.

Static danced up over his fists and his arms, eyes shining in white and gold as he gathered more magic and the lightning manifesting around him shone off the burnished yellow scales covering his body. Grin widening menacingly, Laxus let that immense power fly, "Dragon Slayer's secret arts: roaring judgement!"

Hundreds of balls of lightning appeared in the air over the community square that the fight was taking place in and unleashed numerous bolts of lightning to rain down, obscuring everything within a blanket of blinding light. A single scream ripped through the silence that preceded the explosion and Laxus leapt from his hiding place to dart toward the battlefield, plunging into the dust that hid the fight from his eyes.

"Laxus, holy shit man, what the fuck was that?! You trying to take me down with him?"

The dust settled slowly, though residual electricity licked across the rubble as Laxus found himself face to face with Natsu. His fellow dragon slayer had been driven to adopt Force at some point which meant he faced a powerful opponent, he looked startled by Laxus' sudden intervention. "I knew you'd sense and absorb it…" Laxus droned as he scanned the devastated square for Alexei through the film of dirt in the air. He hadn't been worried about hitting Haru either, realizing that Haru had just been part of the illusion, that's why he hadn't caught any scent of the water slayer. Alexei had likely been trying to intimidate him by making it appear as though he were crushing the Twin Dragons.

"Ah, so two on one, is it? Now this will be a challenge I welcome…"

Laxus spun at the second voice, eyes widening, "JURA?!"

The earth mage shifted his arm, glancing at the rock coating his skin that had taken on a glossy look from the lightning's impact. He hummed in anticipation, "you almost got me there…"

"The fuck is going on here?!" Laxus finally barked, confusion getting the best of him.

"That's what I'd like to know," Natsu chuckled back.

"5 Points to Fairy Tail! Raven Tail's leader is down after an earth-shattering show of power from LAXUS DREYER!"

. . .

Natsu glanced at Jura and back at Laxus upon hearing Chapati's update, Jura looked purely amused. Natsu knew he was far too honourable to resume attacking before his focus was fully on their fight again, the older man craved a strong opponent as much as Natsu did. Whatever had just happened though, apparently had eliminated another Raven from the fray and that was great news.

"Well, I'm lost." Natsu stated tossing his hands up, "but if Raven Tail's leader is down, maybe we've been vastly overestimating them."

"Or maybe I'm just that powerful," Laxus declared with a wide smirk.

Natsu was about to throw a teasing retort his way when another announcement interrupted them.

"Sabertooth's Twin Dragons are out after just ONE overwhelming attack from Fairy Tail's HARU MARIUS… After so many historic performances from the Fairies this week... could it be they've actually been holding back?!"

Chuckling to himself, Natsu locked eyes with his patiently waiting opponent again, but addressed Laxus, "well we can't let Haru have all the fun… so now that you've interrupted my fight, how about you help me take down a Wizard Saint?"

Laxus seemed to ponder the suggestion when Natsu's gold eyes met his, before slapping his hand into the one Natsu had extended to him, "deal, let's make it quick so we can get back to hunting Ravens…"

"Splendid!" Jura agreed with a wide grin, the cobbled street beneath him quaked in response to his rising magic pressure. "It's been far too many years since I've been able to let loose in a fight, don't disappoint me, Fairy Tail."

Natsu and Laxus split apart to make themselves smaller targets and dropped into their defensive stances as the rumbling increased. Blocking Laxus' earlier attack had inadvertently replenished Natsu's magic and teaming up with Laxus meant he could keep pulling that trick, for a time anyway. But he couldn't do the same for Laxus. The only time Natsu had ever wielded lightning on its own was when his fire was sealed, he wasn't a true dual wielder, not like Haru. Haru's ice came from a Dragon, in comparison, Natsu's lightning came from a lacrima in origin, and Laxus wouldn't be able to absorb his magic with fire blended through it.

Lightning was also not a great match up for rock, Haru or Sienna would have a better advantage. A wild grin split Natsu's face at his analysis, draconic canines flashing, "this is gonna be fun, I'm all fired up!" he decided. Natsu made the first move, charging the Saint even as stone began to crack from the street and hover in the air under his opponent's magic. Springing high overhead, Natsu summoned his God Fire, black flames swelling up around one palm as his dragon flames swelled around the other. He slammed the flames together and hurled the destructive globe at the earth mage, "Fire Dragon God's brilliant flame!"

As the ball of fire hurtled toward Jura, Natsu watched a hammer of living lightning cut across the street beneath him. "Lightning Dragon's heavenward halberd!"

"Yes!" Jura's resulting laugh sounded borderline giddy, he countered both attacks with a meter-thick wall of rock that consequently exploded into a shower of debris when their attacks collided. "Yes, this is better than I could have hoped—you fairies really are something else!" the man yelled as rubble fell around him, "come at me!"

Natsu landed behind Jura, catching his teammate's eye before they both flew forward in streams of their respective elements, and launched into an array of coordinated attacks. Rock and sand shields continued to block each attack he and Laxus threw as they moved agilely around the earth mage.

Gajeel

Leaving a couple of the Quatro mages sprawled behind him, Gajeel didn't even slow as his demon log retracted back to his arm. The grin that split his face couldn't possibly get wider, he was a dragon unleashed, this was far too much fun. "Who's next…" he asked the empty street. Eyes snapping off into the distance when a series of daunting rock columns erupted from the Crocus skyline, followed by a torrent of fire that faded into the sky leaving ribbons of thick smoke to mar the blue skies. "That's not a Raven, Salamander…" Gajeel guffawed to himself, "and Poseidon took on the Sabers… guess the plan is falling apart."

Gajeel spun around a corner and leapt into the air, announcing his arrival, "Iron Dragon's ROAR!" The tornado of metal shrapnel filled the street, cutting through the structures framing it and sent the unexpecting Toby, Hibiki and Eve, who'd been wrapped up in their own fight, flying. Yuka cut the attack his hands moving through the space with anti-magic as he shouted for Toby in concern.

Eve peeled himself off the ground and blizzarding winds whipped up around them. Gajeel only smirked back, as the frigid air overtook him, "lucky you ran into me kid," he muttered, considering Haru's affinity.

He plunged straight into the white out storm, when a massive pyramid of jagged ice burst from the street, "ice fang!" Eve's voice filtered through the winds. Gajeel dodged the attack, whipping his arm back as it morphed to a long serrated blade and then slashed down straight through Eve's spell. He landed silently and pivoted, swinging his blade across the street, the force blowing the snows apart and bowling down Eve, Hibiki and Yuka like dominos.

"Well, not that lucky…"

A new burst of wind at the street's intersection ahead had his attention shooting away from the four downed mages to catch sight of the pink-haired Lamia girl hovering in the air, flying backwards down the street as she conjured black winds. She disappeared out of sight and then Wendy flashed through the space between the buildings in close pursuit, her own winds thrashing violently around her. Gajeel blinked, chuckled, "well, it's been fun," he told his defeated foes before giving chase to the pair of sky mages.

Lamia had partnered up, so if Chelia was here… he felt the sudden need to make sure Wendy couldn't be blindsided. He'd deny it fiercely, but he'd warmed up to the girl as most had as Fairy Tail's little sister figure… plus she was his walking-talking motion sickness cure. Damned if he'd let anyone lay a finger on her.

He felt mildly irritated as he chased after the teens, their speed was something else as they raced through Crocus in bursts of wind, it was all he could do to keep up. "Sky God's boreas!" Chelia yelled, and blank winds swallowed the street and to Gajeel's shock, Wendy charged straight for it. "Dragon Slayer's secret arts: Shattering light, SKY DRILL!" the small girl spun into boreas at the center of a spire of sky magic that tore Chelia's attack apart at the seams. Her opponent's face dropped in bewilderment, barely getting a cry of surprise out before the point of Wendy's attack took her square in the chest.

"Holy shit!" Gajeel gaped as the two collided with a building side, causing the entire structure's collapse as they punched straight through the other side. The iron mage skipped across a couple roof tops to observe the street over to and found Wendy hinged forward over her fellow sky slayer, bracing herself with hands on her knees as she sucked in breaths.

Red eyes refocused to a corner on the other side of the plaza the girls had landed in, "there you are…" he grumbled.

"Ice Make: DRAGON!"

"Like I'd let you!" Gajeel used an iron log to vault himself into the air, serrated iron blade reappearing, "Iron Dragon's sword!" With a precise slash, Gajeel sliced the icy beast straight down the middle from maw to tail. He buried his fist in Lyon's nose at the spell's end, driving the ice mage into the tiled roof with a harsh force and met Lyon's stunned face with a dangerous look, "dragon slayer, kid, your ice pet is no match."

He vaguely registered Wendy's shout of gratitude being cut short into a scream when Chelia revealed that she could heal herself, and sent Wendy soaring across the plaza. But he didn't have time to focus on that, as Lyon wasn't down yet, the ice mage planted his feet into Gajeel's stomach and kicked him overhead. Lyon followed and drove a punch down that Gajeel just managed to crane his neck away from, the clay roof tiles shattering where his head had been. Clicking his tongue, he kicked Lyon back and jumped to meet the other man in trading blows as their fight renewed.

Natsu

They wouldn't be able to keep this up for much longer, Jura wasn't landing too many effective hits either, but he'd adopted a seemingly impenetrable defence. After a particularly powerful combination of Secret Arts he and Laxus had unleashed, the Wizard Saint had responded by utilizing his Rock Mountain spell. Natsu eyed the dense layer of rock armour now shielding the large man's body, he'd tried roasting the man inside that suit of rock, but not even that had seemed to phase him. The rock had glowed red and come away glossy, but apparently the armour was thick enough to spare Jura within its embrace.

Meanwhile, the heavy rock did nothing to slow Jura's speed, Laxus ducked under a fist and responded with a thunder laden kick that did nothing. Natsu sprung up behind the Saint, bringing both fists together over head, "Fire Dragon's crushing fang!" he yelled, swinging them down square in the center of Jura's head. Still nothing.

"Iron rock fist!"

"Shit—" Natsu cursed as the two-meter-wide earthen fist burst from the street and smashed into the lightning mage's side, pushing him across the open space before grinding him into the ground. Natsu whirled with Laxus' name on his lips, when Jura flicked two fingers around and redirected the fist, straight at him with blinding speed. Natsu grunted when he took the hit, wrapping his arms around its knuckles and set himself on fire, the spell heated to a brittle dry clay, but not before burying him into the street under a pile of rubble. "That... hurt..." Natsu groaned, he allowed himself a fleeting moment to notice the pain wracking his body, and then he dug himself out of his burial.

He cursed under his breath again, he was never supposed to let himself get dragged into a fight with the Saint… top priority was taking out the damn Ravens before they could do much damage and they still had the two mystery Ravens in play. Alexei might have gone down easy, but he still had a sinking feeling. How was it possible that since the beginning of the event well over an hour ago… he hadn't caught even a hint of the other two's presence. Natsu leapt back, barely dodging another strike from another fist that Jura continued to manipulate with flicks of his fingers.

Cold realization dawned on him, that the remaining demons—he assumed they were demons—were likely biding their time until the more powerful mages had worn each other down. If that was the case, he and Laxus needed to end this, and soon, but with a metaphorical mountain in their path, that was easier said than done.

Laxus was across the open stone space that the trio had ended up on after pursuing one another through the streets trading strikes and spells. Their new battlefield rose above the city below, and offered a ton of open space to let loose. His lightning counterpart stood like a statue as Jura's fist whipped back around to speed toward him again. In the last possible moment, Laxus jumped clear, yelling angrily and summoned Roaring Judgement once more. Their entire battlefield lit up in blinding light as thunder cracked through the sudden quiet and bolts of lightning assaulted everything in its wake. Jura's Iron Rock Fist was obliterated, and his armour finally appeared pocked with chips and cracks when the dust settled again.

Natsu swiped the back of his hand across his mouth, releasing a satisfied belch at the impromptu meal, lightning was never as satisfying as fire… but it was something. Judgement still wasn't enough though, and wouldn't be enough to take down a mage of Jura's calibre. How. There had to be a way he was missing.

Natsu and Laxus collided with Jura again, even as Natsu's mind worked at breakneck speeds for a solution. This was his strength, more than any other mage he'd encountered, no one could match him in finding iron clad strategies in the midst of battle. He'd find it, their path to victory. Then, as he flipped over a sharp punch, he caught sight of pebbles suspended in the air above the ground. He landed behind Jura, and launched a lightning-flame roar that Jura didn't even bother dodging. On closer inspection, when the flames extinguished, sand and debris were clinging to the Saint's rock armour as well. Natsu's eyes widened, lodestone, Laxus' lightning had magnetized the mineral that made up the rock. Clenching his jaw, Natsu vanished into his fire, shooting across the ongoing fight to regroup with Laxus. For the first time, he was pissed that some unknown interference had cancelled Haru's inter-team telepathy at some point during the fight.

He emerged from his fire, grinding the toe edge of his boot into the ground to slide back next to Laxus and his comrade paused in his attacks. "What is it," he asked, his eyes still sharply focused on Jura.

"We can win," Natsu started in a bare whisper, tossing a pebble in his hand, Laxus peered at him sidelong with curiosity. With a wide grin, Natsu flicked the small stone into the air, and sure enough it was pulled into the magnetic field now surrounding the earth mage. "We can turn his magic against him."

Fairy Tail Stands

"Luushy," Happy said, his paw holding tight to the arm sleeve she wore, Lucy hummed a response, "can they beat Jura?"

"Have faith Happy," Erza said standing just behind Lucy, "in all of them." The entire Guild were on their feet by now, crowding around the guard railing as the battle royale continued to heat up.

"I don't know where to watch," Mira added, all of Fairy Tail's team, aside from Haru were presently engaged in tough battles. An entire section of Crocus multiple streets wide was coated in a thick layer of ice as Gajeel's fight with Lyon continued. Winds continued to blow the ice to fractals as neither of the young sky mages slowed in their own fight. And most of the sizable raised courtyard on the outer edges of the city was in ruin now under the catastrophic effects of dragon slayer magic colliding with that of a Wizard Saint.

Lucy chewed on her lip, so far, aside from Jura finding Natsu—they hadn't predicted that—the plan had played out exactly as she'd hoped. Gajeel had widened their lead even further with a handful of mages he'd eliminated, including Nullpudding. Raven Tail's leader was down as well, and it actually appeared that Natsu and Laxus were starting to turn the tide of battle against Jura… But her gut was twisting in worry despite that.

Not counting Haru, who hadn't been pulled into a major fight yet, the team had been taking significant damage, and Kagura, Bacchus, and Ichiya were still actively picking off opponents as well. She had no idea where Raven Tail's new team members were, and she hadn't laid eyes on Minerva since the fight had begun. Lucy scanned the variety of lacrimatrons and considering the remaining competitors. Was there any way for Natsu to get fire, or Laxus to get lightning when they finished this fight? And if there was… was there anyone stupid enough to try to use those elements in the presence of the dragon slayers?

She chose not to put voice to those thoughts.

"So reckless!" Carla screeched, "just wait till I get my hands on her!"

"Oh wow," Mira breathed, Lucy searched the lacrimas for their sky slayer and located her on screen in time to see her swallowing the last drags of the blackened God slayer magic. Wendy keeled forward, choking on the magic she'd absorbed, "how is that possible?" Mira asked, "how'd she even take that in—didn't Natsu say he was only able to absorb the God flames because of—uh…"

Lucy glanced back the takeover mage as she trailed off, many of their guildmates were turning curious looks on them now. There were still very few that were fully aware of Natsu's dual nature, a blush coated Mira's cheeks at her near slip but Makarov saved her. "It's advanced magic, the ability to nullify your innate signature, it's how high level mages are able to mask their magic pressure when they want to remain hidden…"

"So, Wendy…?" Carla whispered with a mix of worry and admiration, watching her young friend continue to struggle in her attempts to assimilate the God winds.

"I don't think Wendy is there, yet." Makarov admitted softly, and the group gasped in concern, "but—she has another advantage… the healing attributes of her sky magic, she may be able to enchant herself to neutralize and fully accept the foreign power."

The group fell silent, watching with bated breath as even Chelia approached their little dragon slayer with concern, but then Wendy was straightening again. Eyeing her foe with a renewed determination that had the pinkette skipping back into a defensive stance. Wendy manipulated the air around her, "sorry to keep you waiting!" she said, rising into the air as blue and black wind thrashed about, her pigtails whipping around her as she wove the formally separate powers together. "Sky Dragon God's WAVE WIND!" she dropped from high above Chelia, closing the gap in an instant and whipped her arms apart as she cut by the other girl. A vortex, turned silver from the mixing power and glittering in the sun light overwhelmed the God slayer as Wendy skidding to a stop behind her and dropped to her hands and knees. Wendy was sucking in gulps of air, as she looked back over her shoulder, Chelia collapsed bonelessly out of the air as Wendy's spell dissipated to shimmering air.

"SHE DID IT!" "Wendy has come so far!" "I'm so proud!" The Guild's excitement sounded in a slew of cheers just as Gajeel called his Secret Arts and dealt the finishing blow to Lyon as well.

In the same span of time, Kagura had found and defeated Bacchus and Haru had taken Ichiya unawares to knock the two of them out of the running as well. Lucy's attention was divided between the still ongoing battle with Jura, and Haru moving through the streets, his head on a swivel as he gripped the arm injured in his fight with Pegasus' ace. Well, it was official, her whole team was officially looking worse for wear. With Lyon and Eve both down, Haru wouldn't be getting a more effective magic-based power up, but he was smart enough to seek out one of the fountains decorating Crocus' many squares. The water slayer turned from the water after inhaling his fill, eyes intensely scanning the plaza as a notable tension found his muscles, and Lucy subconsciously leaned forward in concern. A beam of vibrant purple light exploded from the clear blue sky, carving a scar into the cobbled ground and Haru dodged to the side just in time. He flipped back multiple times as the beam pursued him, finally vanishing into a column of water and reappeared on the other side of the courtyard to look around wildly.

A hand gripped Lucy's shoulder, "h-he can't sense them… why not?"

Lucy covered Mira's hand with her own, "that confirms it then," she said with an edge to her voice, "the remaining Ravens are demons."

Natsu

"This is it!"

Jura was between them, his rock armour cracked in places to reveal part of his face, part of an arm, part of his torso, he was finally feeling the effects of their battle. Natsu and Laxus had been testing the extent of how much they could manipulate the newly magnetic properties of Jura's rock, using charges of electricity to forcefully strip the rock from their opponent's body. Jura had appeared shocked the first time Natsu landed a successful strike after Laxus had ripped a chunk of rock from his armour. They'd continued in this precisely timed pattern, one of them tearing away at the armour as the other struck at the newly exposed flesh. All the while, Jura countered with his own destructive spells.
In reality, this wasn't the plan, they were just trying to rile up the immovable mountain that was Jura. Natsu and Laxus launched themselves back as Jura slammed his rock encased hands together, magic pressure quaking as additional cracks worked themselves through the ground beneath the Saint's feet.

"Supreme King ROCK CRUSH!" The entire raised courtyard they fought in exploded into chucks of rock and debris as Jura worked the massive amount of material all around them.

"Now Natsu!" Laxus called as he skipped between large hunks of falling rock when their ground gave away. Blinded yellow aura burst off him, the polarized rock stopping to hover in the air around him in a field of strong static. Natsu followed suit, releasing his magic pressure as well and feeding as much lightning into his aura as he could, gaining a similar result to Laxus' though to a lesser extent.

"Dragon Slayer's secret arts—" they echoed.

"Roaring thunder!"

"Lightning firing hammer!"

The dragon slayers lunged across the collapsing ground, both with fists cocked back and lightning crackling dangerously. Torrents of rock and sand that Jura had flung at them with the intention to bury, clung to the resulting magnetic fields now surrounding them. Natsu and Laxus slashed across Jura's body in simultaneous punches, whipping straight by each other in an X formation to land opposite each other again. The storm of rock attracted to the column of lightning that consequently erupted off Jura, collided around him to slam the Wizard Saint in a giant tomb of stone and rubble.

"Fuuuck." Natsu groaned, letting his head tip back to the sky as he tried to rein in the surge of adrenaline when Force failed him. That better have done it, he was running on fumes.

Natsu turned, eyes glancing over the mountain of stone fragment, widening when cracks blew through the pile causing it to crumble away and allow Jura to emerge. Tensing back into a defensive stance, as Laxus did the same opposite him, Natsu held his breath. Jura started chuckling lowly, before dissolving into a coughing fit, "that was truly—" he said, coughing again, "—spectacular." Then the Wizard Saint collapsed forward.

"OH MY—FOLKS! FAIRY TAIL SUCCEEDS IN TAKING DOWN WIZARD SAINT JURA! We have witnessed history!"

Relief peeled through Natsu, and he let himself drop to his knees in a momentary reprieve, he shared a brilliant but exhausted smile with his teammate. Laxus sat across from him, chuckling in his own relief. Being worn from battle, neither of them reacted quickly enough to dodge when a giant orb of white appeared in the sky overhead.

"Shinigami dark bomb!" a voice boomed.

Both dragon slayers barely managed to summon their elements to swell around them in time to dampen the strikes against them, turning their shocked eyes to the unknown blonde Raven and—

"ALEXEI?!" Laxus barked, "I already took you down, the fuck is this?!"

The man addressed chuckled, and unleashed numerous waves of dense paper streaks to assault them and the fairies scattered outward. "Natsu!" Laxus yelled, the fire mage looked over to his comrade and then the sky cracked, followed by a giant bolt of lightning that pierced down on him, allowing him to take greedy gulps of the magic. Laxus must have realized they were at an incredible disadvantage and decided to do whatever he could to try to close the gap… and that meant getting Natsu back into Dragon Force. Twin flames flickered back up over Natsu's head, growling as he reopened gold eyes, he declared, "I owe you a drink when this is all over, Laxus."

"You owe me an entire NIGHT of drinking when this is over!"

"STOP THE FIGHT! Raven Tail is disqualified! —Alexei has already been eliminated!" Mato's voice echoed through the speakers. As expected, the Ravens paid the commentators no mind, Alexei flew at Laxus and the unknown blonde with him released a demonic power that had Natsu flinching back. Spots flecked over the other's skin, ears and tail sprouting from his body as he grinned to reveal a set of sharp fangs, "that's better," the demon said.

Fairy Tail Stands

"Those damned Demons!" Makarov roared, his fury palpable as he watched a squad of Rune Knights respond to Raven Tail's dismissal of their disqualification. His eyes blew wide when the entire group froze suddenly, the lances they held at the ready dipping as their faces went slack. "What the in the hell is this?!"

To Fairy Tail's shared horror, the Knights suddenly rounded on each other, weapons flying as they cut one another down ruthlessly. "No…" Lucy breathed, eyes widening further as the entire unit of fifty or so was reduced to just one in a matter of seconds, and then the remaining Knight turned his weapon and took his own life. "W-what happened..." she asked in shock.

The commentators were panicking suddenly, yelling for an abrupt end of the Games as it became rapidly apparent that they had a much more dangerous situation building. "Mages! We are suspending the Games-" Mato's warnings continued but Lucy wasn't listening anymore. She slammed her palms down on the stone in front of her, eyes flashing as she spun to take in Erza and Mira behind her, "let's go."

Wordlessly donning flight transformations in bursts of magic, Erza snapped her wings and launched off toward Crocus, Mira and finally Lucy following close behind. Makarov's frantic instructions to the rest of the guild to spread out and ensure the people's safety and protect the injured fading behind them. "Erza," Lucy called over the wind whipping by her ears, the redhead glanced back, expression mirroring her own rage. "Find Natsu and Laxus, get them replenished, I'll get to Haru," she said, already in Aquarius' Star Dress, "Mira, back up Wendy and Gajeel!."

Erza looked momentarily taken aback by the orders but smirked back regardless agreeing without any rebuttal. "Raven Tail is FINISHED!"

A/N. Okidoke, that's a wrap on the Games and I have apparently robbed the Fairies of their indisputable win. Sorry Natsu and Co! But with the lead they had… come on now…

Anyways, who saw that coming?! Minerva is still MIA, some of the top S Class are down and Tartaros appears to be on scene. :D

Any Predictions?

*Once again, DeviantArt will be home to the visuals, I just posted a GMG team pic for reference on their Games outfits if you're curious.

*Also, for you HaMi fans, I recently posted a rewrite of an excerpt from the Chapter 34 reunion from Haru's and Mira's perspectives. A little citrusy one shot of their first time.

*Lastly, is anyone else following Edens Zero (manga or anime)? I know the critics are complaining that it's too similar to FT, but I kinda love that. I will never get my fill haha.

This week's appreciative shout outs go to SuperSaiyajin4Vegeta, AliceCullen3, Lucys Demon, Joker D. Zero, Valerioux, FireShifter, EternalFlame and Guests. You all rock, thank you so much for always taking the time!

'Till next time,

R&R

~LokaMuse