I would like to thank everyone who reviewed, favorited or followed this story since I updated it.
Altajir95: Thanks, I'm glad to see you liked it.
Guest: Thanks, I'm glad to see you liked it. Yep, the second day is over with Fairy Tail Team B in first place, and I tried to give some of the other characters as much spotlight as I could, one example being Xian from Lamia Scale.
Morregen: Oh don't get me wrong, I would've loved to write out Luke beating the ever loving crap out of Bacchus, but that would be kind of out of character for him. And don't forget that he's not like most characters, he controls himself and keeps his emotions and actions in check a lot more than the other main characters do, even Erza to an extent. Besides, hearing about some of his friends being kidnapped meant that his anger had to take a backseat so his serious and level headed personal could come back to the forefront. But yes, I always enjoy writing out those little moments between Luke and Cana.
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Nightfall came, and the second day of the Grand Magic Games had come to an end.
By this point, Luke had met up with Noah near the city's canal to discuss the current situation "So you mean you and the others haven't been able to find anything?"
"Nothing so far." Noah told him flatly "Usually we end up picking some trace of magic power from Zeref during the games, but for whatever reason we haven't found anything from the games so far."
"You have any idea as to why that is?"
"I've got a few theories going right now. Let's say that it's some cocky wizard that's causing all of the power, what if they're not even at the games this year or they're hiding somewhere in the city but they're not using that dark magic."
"And there's the chance of it being someone in the games themselves but hasn't had a chance to show what they can do just yet. That would have to rule out anyone from Raven Tail, from what I've been told they haven't competed in the games before this year."
"True, but if it's from a device or a specific location then that would make things more complicated than they already were, so either this thing hasn't been turned on yet or there's some kind of filter or blockage that's stopping us from sensing it. In any case, the fact that we haven't noticed anything means that you and the others don't have anything to worry about, at least for the time being."
"I hope you're right about that, I really do. Jellal is already planning to check things out in the city during the games, and he's supposedly got the perfect way to avoid drawing any unwanted attention to himself."
"And that plan would be what exactly?"
"A plan that he came up with after I told him about all of the shit that went down when we went to Edolas."
"...So he's gonna be dressing up as Mystogan and snooping around the city?"
"That would be my guess, so I'd say he's pretty much screwed. I'm probably gonna have to do some damage control."
"Fair enough. Good luck with that."
"The same to you." the two of them fist bumped "And I never got the chance to say it before, but nice work with the Wizard Saint. That fight was Dragon Ball levels of epic, with some Naruto sprinkled in for good measure."
"I mostly owe you and your guild for that."
"I do what I can. Oh and one last thing before I go."
"Which is?"
"Tell the brunette how you feel about her for fuck's sake, the last thing I want is to see you turn into a bigger simp than Morty." and on that note, Noah promptly walked away, with Luke being left alone as a result.
"...Well it could've been worse, he could've said I already was a simp."
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At the same time, Erza was making her way back to the inn where Fairy Tail was staying, when she was called out by a member of Mermaid Heel, who revealed herself to be Milliana. As the two embraced each other in a fit of joy, Erza began to tear up and expressed her happiness at learning that Milliana was well and happy in a new guild.
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As one would expect, Fairy Tail was celebrating their new placement in their own way: Drinking and partying for all hours, but they weren't doing it alone.
Bacchus and a few others had joined Fairy Tail in their celebration, and he was in the middle of drinking several members under the table "That wasn't half bad you guys, but there's one big reason why you're never gonna be keep up with this hound from hell! No matter what happens, my soul is the one here that always has been and always will be WILD!"
"And that's honestly what I'm afraid of." this was when Luke sat down in front of him, his gaze hard and unwavering "You and I need to talk."
"No shit, where the hell have you been up until now? I've been here for the better part of an hour already, so what the hell was keeping ya?"
"I had some business to take care of out in the city with an old friend, and that's all you need to know about it. You and I on the other hand, we have some other business to attend to at the moment."
"Which is?"
"Your little drinking contest with Cana last night. Drinking her under the table is one thing, under normal circumstances I'd find that pretty impressive. What makes my blood boil is what you did to her after you won."
"What, stole her honor or something?"
"No, you tried to steal her bra. That sort of bullshit stunt is crossing the line, and it can't go unanswered."
"So what then, you want me to give your girl a rematch?"
"She's not my girl, and that's not it. She's not the one who's about to take you on. I am." now that got a reaction out of everyone present, which was mostly people getting jaw dropped over his proposal.
"You're serious. You wanna try and drink me under?"
"Well it wouldn't be fair to fight you when you're already hurt from yours and Elfman's fight earlier today, so I figured that this is the next best option."
"Makes sense to me. So what I get if I win?"
"Then I'll become your personal footstool until the games are over."
"And what do you want if you win?"
"There's only one thing I want you do, so if I win… you apologize to Cana for what you did to her last night."
"...You serious about this?"
"I wouldn't be saying it if I wasn't. She's the only person in the guild I would do something like this for, I win and you apologize, and then we call it even."
"That's it?"
"That's it."
"...Alright then, you've got yourself a deal."
"Bottom's up then."
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About an hour passed, and by no means had things calmed down in the slightest.
By this point, Cana and Bolt were making their way into the bar while they were in the middle of a conversation "Okay you were right, that Spider Man game was freaking amazing."
"I didn't have to tell you that and you know it." Bolt told her flatly "It's miles ahead of any other game out there right now."
"And the story itself was amazing, for all we know that probably could've been made into its own movie."
"Yeah let me stop you right there. I hate to break it to you, but video game movies don't exactly have the best track record. Just take a look at the Sonic the Hedgehog movie."
"...Oh yeah fair point. Well what about Detective Pikachu?"
"As far as I know that's the only exception, and even then Ryan Reynolds is what saves it for the most part."
"Well sure but don't forget that- Okay what?" the two of them stopped at the sight awaiting them in the bar, specifically where Luke and Bacchus were still trying to outdrink each other.
"...Okay, so what do we need to know about this?"
"This is apparently Luke's way of defending Cana's honor." Max told him dryly without even looking up from his mug.
"You wanna elaborate?"
"Luke went up to Bacchus and challenged him to see who could drink the other one under the table, it's been going on for about an hour but I think the both of them are coming pretty close to crashing hard."
"And he didn't just try and fight him?"
"He said it wouldn't be fair since Bacchus was already injured from when he and Elfman went at it earlier."
"Fair enough. So if Luke wins?"
"Then the Man Bun over there has to apologize to Cana for stealing her bra while she was still wearing it."
"Oh for crying out loud." Cana could only facepalm at the sight before them "Any chance of us being able to stop this before it gets out of hand?"
"It's been going on for about an hour."
"So that's a no, but I'm gonna put a stop to this anyway." so on that note, she promptly stormed over to the table and grabbed both Luke and Bacchus by the hair "Alright you two, I'm putting a stop to your stupid grudge match." she was answered by Bacchis slamming into the table face first and slipping out of her grip "And apparently I'm too late to do that."
"No no, you're just in time." Bacchus pulled himself back to his feet and shook off the clear disorientation he was feeling "This guy has been saying this, or really slurring it, for the better part of a half hour, but he's right. A real man doesn't back down when someone he cares for has been disrespected, and a real man knows never to give up on what he fights for. So your name was Cana right? I'm… sorry for fucking with you last night. It wasn't wild."
"Oh for-" Cana let out a sigh "Forget it, I wasn't even mad about that anyway."
"Wild. Your boyfriend there is pretty cool, but when it comes to keeping down the good stuff it looks like he's having a hard time making his bite as vicious as his bark."
"He's more out of practice than anything else."
"So I noticed, anyway I'd better get moving before Goldmine tries to rip me a new one for showing up late. Anyway before I go, pass on a message for me. Tell your buddy, I think his name was Elfman right? Tell him I hope he makes a speedy recovery, that was seriously one hell of a wild battle, and tell him I wanna go another round with him sometime, whether it be at some point during the tournament or on our own terms like real men. Oh and tell your boyfriend that you're holding by the hair that he wins. Until the next time we see each other, we will always be WILD!" and so with a comical howl, he bolted out of the inn at full speed.
"Okay, so that happened I guess." Cana then looked down at where she was still holding Luke by the hair "Alright you won, you can get your crap together now."
"Fuck yes!" Luke promptly bolted upright, red in the face as he let out a shallow hiccup "Now how's that for wild?! That's what happens when you fuck with Fairy Tail!" and then he promptly fell flat on his face in a heap.
"Oh right, so that's why he doesn't drink. He's the biggest lightweight in the guild." Cana let out a sigh, but she couldn't help but give a soft smile 'Still, it is kind of sweet for him to come to my defense like that.'
"Hang on, I'll take care of him. Be back in a few." on that note, Bolt promptly slung Luke's form over his shoulder and carried him out of the bar.
"Speaking of passed out idiots, anyone know where the master is?"
"Well he had a drinking contest with Bacchus along with the others, so chances are he's passed out on the floor somewhere." Gray told her dryly.
"I shouldn't be surprised by that." then Cana glanced over to see Lucy holding Plue in her arms and looking rather downcast "You alright Lucy, you seem kind of out of it."
"No I'm fine, I was just thinking." Lucy let out a sigh "I was just thinking about that Celestial Wizard from Sabertooth."
"You meant that Yukino girl right? Yeah she had some pretty good tricks up her sleeve, but even that wasn't enough to win against the likes of that Kagura woman from Mermaid Heel."
"Yeah I know, but what really has me concerned is that she literally bet her life when she went into that battle, so I can't help but wonder what's going to happen to her."
"I know what you mean, but keep in mind that Kagura didn't kill her right then and there, so that's somewhat comforting about it. Besides, I think the only thing we have to worry about right now is our team." she jerked a thumb at the various members that were passed out drunk or just plain passed out.
"...Oh yeah. That. Crap."
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Unfortunately, not all was well as the second day came to an end.
All of the members of the Sabertooth guild were summoned by their master Jiemma, who was quick to remind them of the principles of the guild and belittle Sting for his poor performance that day. With Sting being given another chance in order to repent for his actions in the coming days, Yukino was called to step forward, with Jiemma throwing grapes at her as he went on to describe her horrible failure and embarrassment of the name of Sabertooth with her defeat at the hands of Kagura. Willing to do anything to make up for her loss, Yukino accepted Jiemma's request that she throw everything away and step forward to be punished. Jiemma then went on to force her to strip in front of him and everyone, erase her guild mark and then get out of his sight, to which Yukino thanked him for everything before obeying his orders.
After this was done, Sting and Rogue were making their way back to their respective rooms, being accompanied by Lector and Frosch respectively, discussing the events that had taken place throughout the day, during which a disturbed Rogue started to question the way the guild (or to be more specific Jiemma) treated its members. Sting and Lector then proceeded to walk on ahead while they were discussing the return of their lady, while Frosch started to wonder if he was going to disappear too, since he was weak, but Rogue was quick to reassure Frosch on the matter and tell him that he wouldn't allow such a thing to happen.
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Meanwhile, with a certain group from Fairy Tail…
At the same time, Bolt was making his way through the streets with Cana, Natsu, Lisanna, Lucy, Wendy and the other Exceeds following behind him "So yeah I'm gonna let Luke sleep it off for the time being, sure he's out of it now but let him get some sleep and he'll be back to 100% before the games start again tomorrow."
"It's kind of a surprise to see him like that though." Lucy commented "I mean you'd think he would be an expert at that sort of thing."
"What, you mean because he hangs around with me?" Cana let out a loud snort "There are two major factors here that you're not considering. One, I'm actually a pro at this because I've been doing it for years. Two, there's actually a pretty big reason that I drink that isn't just a matter of pride."
"Because you're one of the few people in the world that actually enjoy the taste of alcohol?"
"Fuck no, who in their right mind would enjoy the taste of liquor? I meant that for me it's more of a coping mechanism than anything else."
"Coping?"
"Of course, you know this might come as kind of a surprise to you Lucy, but life as a member of Fairy Tail can be pretty stressful. Drinking is mostly how I cope with it, and Luke does it mostly by training. I mean sure he does it because he wants to protect everyone, but that's definitely not the only reason. He's one of the few people in our guild that's actually sane, whereas some people on the other hand…" she jerked a thumb at Natsu, but any reply he was about to give was cut off by something catching their eye near their inn "Okay hold on, is it just me or does that girl in front of the inn look familiar?"
"Yeah and I recognize her scent too." Natsu took a whiff of the air in front of them, and then his eyes narrowed with intensity "I recognize her now. She's from Sabertooth."
"You serious?"
Sure enough, Yukino stood in front of the inn, her expression appearing solemn but still coming off as serious as she turned to face Lucy "Your name is Lucy Heartfilia correct? I have something I need to discuss with you."
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At the same time, Erza was in the middle of having her first conversation with Milliana since they parted ways after the ordeal in the Tower of Heaven 7 years ago, and although she was relieved to find that she was doing well, she was left confused and depressed when she found out that Milliana held a grudge against Jellal for the death of Simon, as well as the years that she had to spend in captivity. She also learned that Kagura intended to kill Jellal when the time came to unleash her sword, which she had dubbed Archenemy.
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Meanwhile, back at the inn…
Bolt and the others stood in front of Yukino, though he and Natsu were more suspicious of her than the others "So you wanna go ahead and explain as to what the hell you're doing here in the middle of the night? In case you didn't notice, our guilds aren't on the best terms."
"Well the truth is…" Yukino breathed a sigh "As I mentioned previously, the reason I came here was to see Lucy Heartfilia."
"You wanted to see me?" Lucy could only blink when she heard this "Well okay, but see me about what exactly?"
"I just departed from my guild and I have something that I would like to discuss with you."
"Okay."
"So what then." Bolt's gaze hardened furiously, with Natsu following his lead "Did your guild send you here to screw with us or something?"
"Come on you guys, let's at least try to hear her out. Go ahead."
"Thank you." so Yukino placed a few objects on the table: her Zodiac keys "I realize that this is a bit out of the blue, but will you please take these? The key of the Two Fish and the key of the Balance, I want you to take possession of them, because unlike me you will be able to use them properly."
"Wait what? No I couldn't do something like that, it wouldn't be right. You have to think something like this through."
"I already have thought this through, and I made up my mind after watching you fight. I was going to give these to you once the tournament was over anyway."
"So why not just wait until then?" asked Natsu.
"The games came to an end for me the moment I lost to Kagura. Lady Minerva is going to take my place, so tomorrow you will have to go up against the strongest wizard that Sabertooth has to offer, the five strongest wizards that transformed Sabertooth into the powerhouse that you know it as today."
"And one of them is that buff jackass who thinks he's a good rapper." Bolt commented dryly, which referred to Orga for those of you wondering "So why wasn't she in the tournament to begin with?"
"Normally a newcomer like me wouldn't compete in the games, but Minerva was away on a job and couldn't make it, so I stepped in for her."
"But why are you doing this then?" asked Wendy "I thought that spirits were really precious to their Celestial Wizards."
"Yes that's true, and that's precisely why I decided to hand them over to Lucy. It's clear to me that between the two of us, she's the superior Celestial Wizard, and I believe that they would be much happier in her possession."
"Okay, listen…" Lucy seemed rather flustered by this point "I do appreciate the compliment and all, but I'm afraid that I still can't accept your offer."
"Please you must take them, you had already managed to gather 10 of the 12 Zodiac keys up until now. All you have to say is yes, and with these keys in your possession you will finally have all of them, and then the door that will change the world will finally open."
"Door that will change the world? I"m not sure I'm following what you're saying."
"It's just an old legend that comes with the 12 Zodiac keys, and to tell you the truth I don't fully understand what it's supposed to mean either. However, while I don't know about the legend there is one fact that I'm certain of. Over the past few years, the number of Celestial Wizards has seen a dramatic decrease, and as a result of that I believe that it is quite possible that you and I may very well be the only ones left. I also know that the spirits hold a great deal of love in regards to you, and you return those feelings to the fullest, and I believe that if anyone should have them then it should be someone who's connected to them."
"I… I see…" Lucy let out a sigh "I appreciate the offer, but I still can't take them. The fact is that Celestial Spirit magic is about the bonds that we form with our spirits, and it's not as easy to give up ownership of them as you might think."
"I know, believe me when I tell you that this is not easy for me. Forget about it, I had a strong feeling that was going to be your answer from the start, but for better or for worse I have no doubt in my mind that the day will come when all 12 keys find their way together."
"I think you're right about that."
"I hope this isn't the last time we meet." and on that note, Yukino promptly took her leave of the inn.
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After Yukino left and the girls were getting readyto turn in for the night, Wendy and Carla were quick to question Lucy over her decision, but Lucy explained to the two of them that she had changed, and in the past she may have taken the keys when they were being offered to her, but not now that she had come to understand the deep bond between Celestial Spirits and their users.
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Meanwhile, with Yukino…
After parting ways with Fairy Tail, Yukino was making her way through the streets of Crocus, her mind drifting 'Yes, the day will come when all 12 Zodiac spirits are reunited, but when that day will come continues to remain.'
"Hey wait up, hold on a second!"
Hearing someone call out to her, Yukino looked back to see Natsu running towards her while having Happy trail behind him 'He's the Fire Dragon Slayer of Fairy Tail, Natsu I believe his name was. What could he want with me?'
"Oh good so you actually stopped, I guess that you're not so bad of a chick after all." now that caught her off guard.
"Hey hold on a second!" Happy was quick to protest "You can't just assume that someone is a bad person because they're in another guild, I thought you were better than that. What do you think Lisanna would say if she heard you saying stuff like that?"
"I get enough crap in front of her for cursing around you, and that's why I'm apologizing to her already to idiot!"
"Apologize?" this definitely caught Yukino off guard.
"Yeah people keep saying that I've got the attention span of a rodent or I'm about as smart as a squirrel on a sugar high, but I can be a lot deeper than they give me credit for. I'm like an onion, I've got layers too."
"Wait a second… you mean to tell methat you followed me all the way out here… just to apologize to me?"
"Well yeah it's the least you could do when you look like you're about as down as the stock exchange, but yeah they did say something about how I'd probably come off as a stalker if I came out after you like this."
"No… you're very kind… thank you for saying that to me…"
"Good I'm glad that's settled, for a minute there I was afraid that things were gonna end up getting awkward here." and then he was met with the sight of her starting to cry "Oh crap what the hell did I do?!"
"No it's not that, it's nothing you did…" she fell to her knees as she continued to sob "I just can't take it…"
"What the hell?!"
"It's nothing you did… it's just that no one has ever been this kind to me… or shown so much concern for me… I looked up to them once… the members of Sabertooth were my idols… I had practically worshipped the ground they walked on… I finally got the chance to join them… but now I'll never get to step foot in the guild again…"
"What are you talking about?"
"They forced me to leave less than an hour ago… all because of one defeat in the games… I was humiliated in front of everyone, worse than I had ever been in my life… they forced me to strip naked… and then they made me erase my own guild mark… it was so frustrating… he took every ounce of self respect I had and shattered it into thousands of pieces… Sabertooth was my home, and now I'll never see it again…"
"...What?" Natsu gritted his teeth in fury, the veins in his forehead throbbing "Well that's too fucking bad, but I don't give a damn about what happens in other guilds."
"I'm sorry… I know it's not your business… I just couldn't hold it back any longer…"
"Yeah I know, you're right about it not being my business, but it pisses me off when I see other people get treated like shit when they've done nothing to deserve it. Why do you think I hate seasons 6 to 8 of Spongebob, or those episodes of Drake and Josh (Peruvian Puff Pepper, Sheep Thrills, Theature Thug and Alien Invasion, in order of release). Fucking with you in front of the people you call your friends is bad enough, but to force you to erase your own guild mark and make you strip down like some kind of cheap hooker? Any guild that tortures one of its own for shits and giggles doesn't deserve to call itself a guild!"
'A… A friend?'
"Happy keep an eye on her, I've got some business to deal with, and no matter what happens, don't tell Lisanna what I'm doing."
"Aye sir!" Happy gave him a quick salute, which prompted him to take off running.
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Meanwhile, with Bolt…
At the same time, Bolt stood on a balcony overlooking the city 'This city brings back about 7 years worth of bad memories for me, but with Luke and the others back I'm aiming to change that this time.'
"What the hell are you doing out here?"
Bolt glanced back to see Gray coming up to him "I could ask you the same thing."
"But I asked you first, so spill already."
"Fine, fuck it. I'm just thinking about how things are gonna chance for the better now that you and Luke and the rest of them are back. So what brings you out here looking like you just got kicked in the balls?"
"I had to deal with a bunch of crap from Juvia and Lyon, and after all of that I figured I could use a little bit of fresh air to clear my head."
"Not like you didn't have it coming, I didn't even have to be there to have a clear understanding of what went down and why you look so constipated about it. You know damn well how she feels about you, I'm pretty sure everyone back in Edolas knows too, so how about you grow a pair, stop acting like a dick and just tell her already. "
"Well what business of it is yours anyway?"
"The business of making you stop acting like a dick, and I figured that if you were gonna have the guts to be honest with your girl then Luke would too."
"As in…?"
"It took him about 7 years but he finally realized how he felt about her, his plan is to wait and tell her after we win the games, but he's kind of making himself look like a jackass and it's pretty obvious he's getting impatient over it." he was saying this part with a grin.
"Why do you look like you're happy about it?"
"Because he's actually got some personality again, ever since that whole mess with Mira he's basically been forcing himself to grow up earlier than he had to, sacrificing his own chances to kick back and have fun so the rest of you could."
"Don't you guys binge watch Avatar at least once a week?"
"That's a given dude, and it's really the only form of fun he has going for him. He's finally starting to cut loose again."
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Deep within the castle, Arcadios was going over notes about how Lucy had 10 of the Zodiac keys in her possession, and how Yukino had 2 of them, and with all 12 of them he would finally be able to complete the Eclipse Project.
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Meanwhile, with the Sabertooth inn…
After Yukino's expulsion from the guild, things had calmed down for the night.
Lector and Sting were in their room discussion a certain popular running gag "It's called the Wilhelm Scream man, it's like the one in Star Wars where the Stormtrooper falls."
"Oh fuck yeah, I love that scream! Doesn't it sound like this?" and then Sting did a poorly done imitation of the Wilhelm scream.
"No way, it's more like this." and then Lector did his own crappy imitation.
"No that's not it either." this was followed by a series of loud Wilhelm screams sounding off in the distance, followed by a series of explosions "Okay yeah that was it, but what the fuck was with the explosions?"
It was at this moment that Rogue barged into the room "You can keep talking about the Wilhelm Scream later Sting, we've got an intruder?"
"Wait what?!"
"Fro thinks so too!" this when Frosch popped up from Rogue's shoulder "Everything is going boom boom!"
"These idiots must have a death wish, who the hell would barge in here and start trying to attack our guild in the middle of the night?"
"I don't know who it is."
"Well either way, if they think they're going to get out of here with their life then they're in for one hell of a wakeup call." the two of them started bolting down the halls, only to find a series of fiery explosions bursting throughout the inn and members being sent flying into nearby walls in heaps left, right and center.
"Hold on a second, I'm picking up the scent of a dragon, and those flames look familiar."
"So what then- Wait a second… you mean it's Natsu?"
Sure enough, Natsu was the one storming the Sabertooth inn, ripping through one member of the guild after another "Start talking, where the fuck is your master hiding?! Tell him to come out and face me like a man!"
"If you insist." it was at this moment that Jiemma stepped forward "If you have something to say to me then just spit it out already."
"You the master of this steaming pile you call a guild?"
"What's it to you?"
"I heard that the way things work in this guild is that if you lose even one fucking time then you're out on your ass, is that it? Not gonna lie, those rules are pretty hardcore so let's see if you have the balls to play by them." his body started radiating flames "If you lose to me then that means you've gotta walk out on your guild too."
"You're one of those pieces of trash from Fairy Tail, what the hell are you doing here all on your own?" Orga shot him a smirk full of arrogance "I should warn you now you little shit, you really don't wanna take on our master, not if you value your life anyway."
"At least I value the lifes of my friends, that's a hell of a lot more than what can be said for pieces of trash like you."
"Did you truly come here to challenge me alone? Such a foolish move on the part of a piece of trash like you." Jiemma spat at him.
"The reason I came here is to teach a bunch of assclowns like you that you're not supposed to look down and spit on the people you're supposed to care about, so listen good because I'm only gonna say it once before I start busting heads."
"I don't have a damn clue what you're talking about, and frankly I don't care, but from what I can tell it sounds to me like everyone should live by your personal moral code."
"Don't fucking lie to my face, you know exactly what I'm talking about."
"As I said, I couldn't care less about what you mean, and the way I run my guild is none of your damn business. Hey Dobangal, go take care of this piece of trash."
"So what, you're too scared to fight me so you send out one of your lackeys?"
"There's nothing I fear, I don't have to waste my time or energy disposing of a worthless insect like you. I am the master of this guild, so if you wish to challenge me then you must prove yourself to be a worthy adversary. Dobangal."
"Don't hide behind your lackeys like some pathetic cowards, get the fuck over here and fight me like a man!"
"Cease with your prattling you arrogant fool, I will never allow you to lay a single hand on our master." this was when Dobangal, aka the ninja reject of Sabertooth, blitzed forward and started attacking Natsu with a series of punches and kicks, and a rainbow beam from one hand "It's only fair to warn you that while I may not be participating in the Grand Magic Games this year, I am just as skilled in battle as those who have been chosen to represent our guild, and so now you will taste the true power of Sabertooth!" he hurled forward a series of smoke bombs.
"So what then, you're hiding too like some kind of coward?" Natsu quickly maneuvered around a series of magic energy blades being thrown at him, only to see Dobangal coming at him from behind.
"I suggest that you leave at once, or else you'll face the consequences of a painful death by my blade!" Dobangal dashed forward as he summoned an energy blade, only to miss Natsu by a few large inches "What?"
"Get the fuck out of my way!" Natsu barely even had to bat an eye before he dealt Dobangal a single hit to the jaw, knocking him out cold in an instant with a single flaming punch "I don't have any business with a lapdog like you!"
'You've gotta be fucking kidding me, he just took out Dobangal with a single hit.' Sting was left taken aback by the sight of Dobangal going down, but then he smirked 'Looks like he hasn't lost his touch even after 7 years, that sort of thing gets my blood pumping. No need to worry master, I'll take care of this one."
'So Sting is finally stepping up to the plate.'
"You'll stay out of this." Jiemma stepped forward as Natsu began charging at him with a flaming fist locked and loaded "Nobody in my guild has the same level of spirit as you do boy, I have to admit that it is rather interesting."
"How about this then! Fire Dragon IRON FIST!" Natsu pounced at Jiemma with a flaming fist readied and blazing.
Jiemma only needed to raise one arm to block the flaming fist with ease "But it takes a great deal more than spirit!" and so he unleashed a shockwave of magic power that almost sent Natsu staggering back a short distance.
"Fire Dragon TALON!" Natsu steadied himself and recovered from the shockwave just enough to deal Jiemma a fire-enhanced kick to the chest, followed by a fist to the face "Fire Dragon BRILLIANT FLAME!" and then he followed up with a two-handed blast of fire that he hurled directly at Jiemma, the force sending him skidding back a fair distance, leaving the other members of Sabertooth stunned "I'm not done yet! Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Flame Lotus: EXPLODING FLAME BLADE!" he hurtled himself towards Jiemma with a spiralling torrent of flames ready to be unleashed, with a mighty explosion resulting from this collision.
However, when the smoke cleared, it was revealed that Jiemma had been protected from the blast by a newcomer "Minerva…"
Sure enough, between the two of them was a beautiful woman with dango loops in her hair and a calm and confident smirk spreading across her face "Surely everyone here will agree, this little quarrel of ours has gone too far as it is."
"How dare you get in my way you wretch, this matter doesn't concern you. Please forgive me father, you can defeat this man with ease so you can be sure that I wasn't intervening in this for your sake."
"You've gotta be kidding me." Natsu muttered "This bastard is your dad?"
"But we must take into consideration how this altercation is going to appear to those in the outside world. Despite the fact that you are clearly the aggressor in this situation, a competitor from another guild being killed by the hand of our master would leave Sabertooth in a very awkward position to say the very least. It would certainly put a damper on the games."
"You know what I think, I think you're just scared of seeing this old bastard get what's coming to him."
"You have enraged not only my father, but also his men, and they're not the types who tend to take this sort of provocation lightly. So what do you say, would you allow me to resolve this unpleasant incident in a manner without violence? Perhaps I should add some extra incentive to ensure that you agree to such a thing." but then Minerva pulled out the blackmail card as she used her teleportation magic to reveal Lisanna before her, bound and gagged and pretty much helpless to defend herself "That's also the only way your companion here is going to be returned to you unharmed."
"Lisanna! Get your fucknig hands off of her you little-"
"You're in no position to make threats. You seem to have taken your anger out on quite a few of the members in our guild, but I'm willing to overlook this incident entirely if you prove to me that you're willing to cooperate, so all you have to do is behave like a grownup and then we can continue the games like nothing even happened."
"...Fine, fuck it." gritting his teeth, Natsu breathed a sigh "Just let her go."
"So we've reached an agreement then." she threw Lisanna over to him in a way that was more rough than it should've been.
Natsu was quick to free her of her bonds and gags and pulled her into a tight hug "It's okay, I've got you now. Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, but… I'm sorry…" Lisanna couldn't stop herself from crying into his shoulder "I tried to fight her with everything I had, but she was so strong and…"
"Stop it, don't even think about apoloizing. I told Happy not to tell you about this because I didn't want you to worry, but stuff like this isn't worth it if it means that you're gonna end up getting dragged into it and getting hurt. Come on, let's get going." he picked uo Lisanna in his arms bridal style and started walking towards the exit, but before he actually stepped out he stopped and gave one last glare back at the members of Sabertooth "Lay another hand on her and you won't live to regret it."
"You have some remarkable levels of courage for such a fool." Minerva's smirk widened "I believe we can settle this properly once we set foot inside the arena."
"That's fine by me, but there's no way in hell you're gonna beat us. Our guild is on a whole other level compared to yours. I'm not talking about power either, I'm talking about the fact that a real guild knows that it has to treat its members like they're part of a family. The main reason I came here tonight was to tell you that." and on that note, he made his way out of the guild hall, but the minute he exited the inn he found Bolt waiting for him, and he looked pissed "You gonna yell at me for this?"
"I'm gonna let Erza handle that." Bolt told him dryly "And word of warning, she's about as pissed as that time you torched her strawberry cake out of spite."
"...I'm gonna fucking die."
Rogue just watched the three of them leave in silence, his mind drifting 'A real guild treats its members like they're part of a family… He might be right about that, but that isn't the way that things run in our guild. Still though, the fact that he was strong enough to stand against Jiemma like that… it makes me wonder, just how much stronger are you now Luke, or Gajeel for that matter?'
"Hey listen up!" this was when Orga started running his mouth "I call first game tomorrow, I'm gonna make that little shit pay for what he did to us."
'And now Orga is about to go up first tomorrow, so that's going to put us ahead of most of the other competitors, and since Yukino was kicked out, Minerva is more than likely going to take her place. Then there's the fact that Raven Tail is still lurking around during the games, and even if they are only targeting Fairy Tail right now, what's to stop them from coming after the rest of the guilds whenever they want? Either way, I can't afford to let down my guard anytime soon.'
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Meanwhile, at the Fairy Tail inn…
"Hold on, you said what now?!" Lucy and the others were considerably jaw-dropped (and/or considerably pissed) when they heard from Bolt about the night's events "You mean Natsu went and picked a fight with Sabertooth just like that?"
"Yeah and he was doing pretty well, but then shit hit the fan for us hard." Bolt glanced over at where Natsu was watching over the sleeping form of Lisanna "That is to say, the possibly strongest and most sadistic member of their guild showed up in time to take Yukino's spot in the games."
"Stronger than Sting and Rogue?"
"That's more arguable than anything else, I've seen what the two of them can do once they get to full power, but she's sadistic and underhanded and has a metric fuckton of a superiority complex to go with it. But truth be told we're lucky she pulled the Lisanna card, if Natsu had gone any farther than he did then there's no chance we would've been able to keep competing in the games after that. Part of me is quoting her on that, but that's when you know she's a problem: When she's not exactly wrong. Just take a look at Kuvira from Legend of Korra."
"Put aside the Avatar references for now, we've got another problem!" Gray took this chance like any other to round on Natsu in a rage "I can't believe you would be that much of an idiot, do you even have half a fucking brain cell in your skull!"
'You know it's a bad situation when Gray has to act as the voice of reason.'
"You need to actually stop and think before you pull another bullshit stunt like that! I mean why the fuck do you get to have all the fun, it would've been a fucking dream come true to get a chance to beat those assclowns into bloody paste."
"And there goes any actual brain cells I ever believed you to have."
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean? Don't tell me you don't want to give those assholes what they deserve!"
"Of course I do, but the difference is that I know how to hold it back like a normal person, and I actually know how to comprehend the meaning of consequences!"
"Oh come on, it's not like I ever would've really hurt anybody. I just wanted to go up to that pretty boy and get up in his face and let him know I'm not gonna lose to him again, maybe just scare him into pissing himself a little bit."
"It doesn't matter what your intentions are, actions are the big problem here. Natsu over there is a prime example, he charged in like a crazed bull without thinking and it almost got Lisanna killed as a result. What the fuck do you think they would do to you? I know how you feel about what they did to Yukino, there's a fine line that separates being strict from being cruel, but in their eyes there's little to no difference between the two of them."
"And even after she was humiliated like that she still came over here to try and give me her gate keys as an act of kindness." Lucy muttered "She's not like the rest of them, I know that much at least. I can't help but wonder if she even has anywhere else to go now. I'm pretty worried about her."
"Well one thing is for sure, there's no chance of her being able to go back to Sabertooth after today, nor should she want to for that matter."
"Those bastards, how can they treat someone like that?" Gray let out a snarl "You know what the games can go to hell, I'm gonna go ahead and crack some skulls! Are you guys in or what?"
"What, what a thousand fucking times. Didn't you listen to anything I just said? Minerva won't hesitate to slaughter you like a pig, whether it be physically or emotionally. What are you gonna do if she does to Juvia what she did to Lisanna?" that caused Gray to fall silent "Do what you only do a little bit more than Natsu and use your brain, do the smart thing and save it for the games like everyone else is. Let's not forget that now that a certain someone fucked everything up tonight there's a pretty fair chance that they're gonna be coming at us with everything they've got tomorrow."
Erza had stayed silent during this discussion, and she made her way out onto the balcony, her mind drifting 'It's only natural that everyone competing in the games, regardless of whoever they might be affiliated with, brings their own motivations and emotions into the arena.' she then glanced over at where Luke was fast asleep on one of the beds 'I hope you're ready Luke, for what's going to come next. Between the hatred Raven Tail holds for us, and now the newly ignited animosity from Sabertooth, I have a feeling we're going to be in for the fight of our lives when the games come tomorrow.'
A/N:
And now we see the night following the second day of the Grand Magic Games, and with a metric fuckton of drama to go with it, some good and some bad. But either way, sinister forces continue to lurk in the shadows, and it would seem that in order for their plan to succeed, they need a Celestial Wizard. Or to be more specific, they need Lucy. But anyway, the last few chapters have been pretty long ones, and since the next one will most likely be another long one, I figured a shorter one with a bit more light relief was in order.
So yes, Luke challenged Bacchus to a drinking contest to defend Cana's honor, and as a result he passed out after it was over. This was just an idea that I came up with because I thought it would be funny, and I thought it would be an unexpected and humorous contrast to have Luke be a lightweight when it comes to drinking, in contrast to Cana, the heaviest drinker in the guild.
So yes, Natsu attacking Sabertooth after hearing about what they did to Yukino happened like in canon, the only difference being that Lisanna got taken as a hostage by Minerva instead of Happy. This is meant to give Natsu some character development, seeing how his brash actions actually do have consequences. This will come to a head towards the end of the arc.
Anyway that's all I have to say to all of you right now, let me just wish you guys a Happy Halloween 2020, and I'll see all of you in the next update.