Aisha's POV:

What an absolute nightmare trying to reach Mercurius, because of the eclipse project I had struggled to use magic when I got close to the palace. I had to sneak in the old fashioned way, I had climbed into the gardens and made my way through the maze. I was trying to be as careful as possible, the last thing I wanted to do was fight a royal guard patrol.

In the distance I had heard the fireworks previously and saw the giant fairy tail symbol above the arena. They actually managed to do it, good. That is one thing off the list but I cannot focus on that right now, I had to save Mira and the others. Something was seriously wrong, where I would usually imagine patrols, there was nothing. The few soldiers I had seen were running, they were ready for combat.

I vaulted myself over a wall and reached into the courtyard in front of the castle. I looked over and there were a massive amount of soldiers standing in formation and next to them there was the rescue team, but I couldn't help but notice Natsu wasn't there nor Mira. I have to focus on the mission, I snuck over trying to be as careful as possible in case the Fairy Tail mages were prisoners. When I got closer I heard a commotion, it sounded like Lucy. I got into a better position and hid myself behind a fountain.

Lucy was arguing with Hisui, her picture was all across Crocus so I could recognise her without meeting her before. Judging from her body language she was clearly in command here, the crown princess had the reins and she was really going to try and activate this thing. The energy emerging from it felt dark but strangely familiar. There are artifacts back home that had the same energy, whatever eclipse was it was powerful. The last thing we should be doing is activating this.

The argument had escalated as a tall man walked up to them and confronted Lucy, claiming how since Hisui was the princess that she should be respected. I will not respect someone so reckless as to activate something like this.

As I was watching the argument, I felt the ground shake and I almost lost my footing falling forward. Just before I was about to hit the water I balanced myself using both of my hands to hold myself up. That would've been a disaster, the soldiers would've heard me hitting the water, especially after the silence after the ground shook.

I forced myself back to my feet and crouched as I walked over slowly to the main group, before I could get any closer the eclipse started opening. It was a gate! Whatever this was a gate to was dangerous, how could they even consider using this. It was beyond irrational.

The doors swung open and the soldiers and mages present stood in front of the gate in awe and at the heavenly glow emitting from it. The doors swung open fully and before anyone could think of doing anything else, a giant figure had emerged and walked through the great doors. I looked up in it, totally in shock. It was a dragon, a living breathing dragon. Lucy had ran over to the side of the gate and began desperately trying to close it. I looked around and I saw Mira and Yukino appear from the other side.

I stayed still, paralysed in fear. Looking over to the gate where dragon after dragon emerged from it. Lucy hadn't managed to close the gate and whilst that was ongoing, dragon after dragon emerged. The ground shakes with every single step they take, as the seventh dragon appears out of the gate. Yukino ran over to the lever to meet with Lucy, they were trying to close it. They took out their celestial spirit keys and used them all at the same time attacking the gate, desperately trying to close it.

With a great bang, they managed to close the gate. With a great smash the gates closed before anything else could emerge from them. Whilst this was happening, a dark silhouette had appeared. This person seemed so familiar, his energy especially. It was Rogue from Sabertooth, he looks so different. If this was Rogue, what had happened? He was fighting at the arena, something else had happened here. I don't think this was someone from Edolas, he seemed too familiar with the world.

As he stood before the crowd, he raised his arms up proclaiming his new kingdom and how these dragons are under his control and would act out his every command. He claimed this would be the only way to defeat Acnologia. Even in Alkatasia there are stories about him. I had heard the whole purpose of the Empire was to gain enough strength to the point where they could defeat the dragon. I scoffed at Rogue's idea, it was ludicrous. He had killed countless dragons, this would never be enough. Fighting amongst each other only weakens humanity and at the end of the day that only benefits Acnologia.

Rogue climbed onto the back of a dragon and flew away and five other dragons followed suit, scattering all over the city. That left one dragon at the palace, I didn't know what to do. Since the eclipse gate had been closed it should be fine to use my magic now, I will follow one of the dragons. The only possible way we can defeat them is if we fight them separately.

I used my sand form to follow one of the dragons, the one I had chosen was a great gray dragon. I followed it for a few minutes and it landed at one of the wide boulevards that dotted the city. It happened to land just in front of a few members of Blue Pegasus, Lamia Scale and Quatro Puppy. I landed right behind the mages silently, and came out of my sand cloak.

The mages were so focused on the dragon they hadn't even noticed me, Ichiya had decided the best possible solution to this dragon is to use a foul parfum to try and incapacitate the beast. The dragon almost looked amused, looking at the group in front of me as they writhed in pain from the stench. I used my sand to block my nose, otherwise I'd have been in the same state as them.

"You silly humans, I don't have a nose. Did you really think that was going to work?"

I stepped forward and used my sand to pull the mages behind me, the sand wave passing through me.

"If there is one thing I hate in this world, it is a beast who thinks it is so far above people. Dragons are a dead species and you will barely be a footnote in history."

"Oh this human has spirit, I'll eat you first. Then afterwards I'll have the rest of them."

"So confident, we'll see about that."

I got into a combat stance, and used one of my strongest techniques. I cast a spell and a giant sinkhole appeared underneath the dragon, sinking a portion of the street underground. A pit had formed underneath the dragon and buried it, I used my vampiric sand to bury the dragon. Tonnes upon tonnes fell onto it, sealing it underground in a great sand prison. I used this technique against Jura, but I poured a significant amount of my magical strength into this. This will hold a lot longer even against a dragon.

I turned around as the mages got back to their feet, I turned around and faced them.

"This prison will hold the dragon for a few minutes, we need to think of an actual strategy here to beat this. And don't you fucking dare to suggest another scent based plan!"

A mage stepped up, it was the woman Mira had fought before. I hadn't cared to learn her name, she can't seriously have anything strong enough to withstand a dragon.

"I don't particularly like your attitude, but I have got armour I can use that should be able to take a hit or two from that thing."

"It's better than nothing, you and I will stand in the front and take the hits from the dragon. The rest of you should be able to strike from afar."

I felt the ground shake and rumble, the sand prison was beginning to fail. The dragon had breached it, it would be fully out in a few seconds. Before I had time to think, I turned around and the dragon had burst from underground. I prepared to hit it with a sand tsunami to force some distance in between us, I wouldn't rely on them. I am going to have to use Tenin, it would leave me little to none magic power, but it might be strong enough to injure the dragon. Before I could do anything a figure fell from the sky and smashed into the dragon from above, a large dark red glow emitted from the hit. He laid into the dragon, strike after strike into it, the dragon was feeling the pain.

The dragon reeled from the pain, whoever this man was. He was our best bet on putting this dragon into a permanent sleep. As the mage stood up, while the dragon squirmed underneath him. The Blue Pegasus' mages looked at him with anger, they clearly knew him and had some sort of conflict with him.

"Is that Cobra, from the oracion seis?"

"He used to be a member, I don't know why he's here. But for whatever reason he is an asset right now."

The mages talked amongst themselves while the mage who was identified as Cobra looked down at them in disgust.

"I can hear it, all the screams of despair. What a sweet melody. Now get lost sideliners!"

"Sideliners?"

"What's the deal? You don't owe us any special favours buddy."

"Why are you even here, you should be in jail. I'm not sure if I even want your help."

I looked back at the guild mages, they were beginning to get really on my nerves. They were just complicating matters.

" I don't care if he should be in jail. He's an ally now, he can fight the dragon one on one. I will support him with my sand magic, you should all step back and make use of yourselves from a distance. We need all hands on deck for this fight, I will not tolerate insubordination at a time like this."

"Who died and made you king?!"

"Actually I wasn't the King, I was a princess. Now do as I say, we need a clear direction here and this Cobra clearly knows what he is doing."

I looked over my shoulder and Cobra wasn't exactly pleased with what I had to say, I couldn't command him but I didn't need him too. All I needed him to do was cause chaos for the dragon and keep his attacks off of us. I looked at the group almost in disdain.

"Now are you going to help us try to fight this dragon or are you going to lose like in the Games?"

That comment had clearly upset them, the looks of disgust on their collective faces.

"We'll help you fight this, but just to make this clear. You are not in charge here Aisha, you might've come close to beating Jura but you are not in command here."

It was better than nothing, they would do as I wanted. Even if they didn't know it. Before I could join the fight with Cobra, I heard a scream from a nearby street. Someone was in trouble, I would go and help them. If they were a mage, they could help us defeat this thing.

As Cobra was locked in combat with the dragon with the backup from Blue Pegasus, I used my sand form to fly up and over the building and onto the street nearby. There was a young mage who didn't look older than sixteen, I didn't recognise her. She was fighting some sort of dragonspawn, they were much smaller than the regular dragons. I flew down and came out of my sand form, crashing on top of the spawn with a great thud. The unmistakable sound of crunching bones underneath me, I sent a sand bullet to fly through the skull of another spawn, leaving a blood splatter across the cobblestones.

As one of the spawn fired a beam at the young mage, I used a sand wall to block it and shield her. I sent a sand wave to send the spawn flying down the street and crashing into the other side, destroying them with a loud bang. I used my sand magic to raise myself and the other mage to a safe place on top of a nearby building.

"Who are you and why are you here? You need to get out of here!"

The young girl was in shock, she didn't answer me. The red glow of the eclipse engulfed us in a pale red light. She was covered in blood, she didn't have any noticeable injuries so it must've been someone else's.

I walked over to her and wrapped her in a tight embrace, she didn't need to be screamed at right now. She needed tender care, she was only a little older than me when I had my first taste of combat. I put a gentle hand to her hand and brushed her hair, whispering in her ear.

"It's okay, I'll take you outside of the city. You don't need to do anything."

I held onto her with one hand and used my free hand to create a small sand bird, it would be more than strong enough to carry her. She opened her eyes and looked up into mine, she was so scared she couldn't even speak. I placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and let go of her, I stepped away and the bird gently picked her up with its claws and flew up into the air and out of sight. It would take her outside the city.

I needed to get back to Cobra and the rest of them, we have to beat this dragon now. The faster we can get it done the better, the other six dragons would need to be dealt with.

Just as I used my sand cloak a beam fired straight through my chest. I turn around quickly and send a sand bullet through the skull of the spawn. I breath out heavily, I almost just died. That bolt would've killed me instantly, before I could act again more spawn appeared and I used two sand tsunamis to clear them from the roof of the building. I flew to the street again and used my sand cloak to travel as quickly as possible, flying back to the group and if I came across anyone else I could save them. More dragonspawn appeared in front of me and I decided to stop and come out of my cloak. I formed a sand wall in front of me which blocked the beams from hitting me, forming another few sand beasts.

I formed two sphinxes and they charged the spawn, killing the small dragons one after another. I took a long breath and looked behind me, more dragon spawn. I created a sand wall behind me, as more beams hit it. I formed two more sphinxes and sent them towards it. I was using a lot of magic power, I cannot afford to lose more, if that happened I may not be able to summon Tenin without seriously risking my life. I ran out of the sand walls and into an alleyway, it was a dead end. I used my sand cloak out of necessity, getting to the top of the buildings as my constructs fought the spawn below. I looked behind me and a full sized dragon appeared and sent a giant flame breath towards me, I couldn't dodge it as it was too close and my sand would turn to glass underneath the flame. I was dead, everything in my life had led to this moment. All the blood, sweat and tears were for naught. I never got to say bye to my brother, my grandfather or Mira.

I am so sorry for this, I was going to die here with a life that was wasted. A life that has led to so much destruction and death, I was a monster. I killed the only person who could fall in love with me. I don't know if Mai-at can hear my prayers, but please save me.

My life flashed before my eyes, and I was engulfed in flames.