A/N: Edited on September 17, 2021

Chapter 5: The Shining Moon's Vow to the Sky

Crocus.

The air in the city was lively and festive. Why wouldn't it be? Today was the opening day for the annual Grand Magic Games. Wizards from all over the kingdom will gather and compete for the title of "Number 1" guild in all of Fiore. Fairy Tail was no exception to this, although the reception they received from the city folk wasn't at all pleasing.

"Why are they laughing at us?" Lucy asked the rest of Team Natsu.

"It's because currently, we're at the very bottom of the kingdom's ranking," Erza replied while becoming annoyed by the laughter.

"Just let it slide, for now, Erza," Grey advised. "The best way to shut them up is to win the entire competition."

"Grey's right," Wendy agreed. "By the way, wasn't the master supposed to be meeting us here?"

"Now that you mention it, I still don't see him," Happy replied.

"We'll just have to wait a little longer, I guess," Carla suggested.

Fortunately, they didn't have to wait for very long as the master arrived together with the rest of the guild. With him were Bisca and Alzack with their daughter Asuka on Makarov's shoulders, Team Shadow Gear, the Strauss siblings, and the Kurosaki Family minus Ichigo.

"We just got back from registering your names for the competition!" Makarov happily announced as he set down little Asuka. He chuckled a bit before adding, "Now let's show everyone why Fairy Tail is the strongest!"

That declaration from the guildmaster didn't go unnoticed by the citizens, however. Knowing the guild's current standing in the kingdom, it's safe to say that they were going to get some laughs at the mages' expense.

"Isn't that Fairy Tail?" a random crocus citizen asked.

"Yeah. Someone has to come in the last place, right?" answered another. Soon, the townspeople began laughing at the mages.

"Shut up!" Natsu yelled in annoyance.

"Come on. You losers always finish in las– WHAT THE!?"

An intense pressure put the people to stop with their taunting. However, the mages also felt the massive weight pushing down on them. They knew that only five people could do this, and as they looked to the family in question, they saw Karin giving everyone a glare that could outright disintegrate anyone with her black robes flaring out.

"Karin," Yuzu called to her sister.

The older twin looked at her sister and slowly let the pressure she was emitting disappear.

"W-What w-was t-t-that?" asked a frightened Crocus citizen.

"A warning," Karin replied coldly. The man who asked looked at the older Kurosaki twin in fear and abruptly skedaddled like a scaredy-cat.

"Now…now, Karin. There's no need to go that far," Orihime tried to calm Karin down.

"They're lucky that it wasn't my full spiritual pressure being released," the second Kurosaki sibling muttered, which made the mages shudder, "…or Ichigo for that matter."

"That wasn't her full pressure!?" the mages that came to cheer said in their thoughts with disbelief. Happy, who was planning on laughing, kept his mouth shut lest he feels the wrath of a death god.

"Although we thank you for defending us, Karin," Makarov said to the young woman, "…it was still unnecessary. Let them laugh all they want. We'll simply disprove them by winning the competition."

"I'm sorry, master," Karin replied.

"There's no need to apologize, young one. You only did it to protect us." Makarov told the girl with a grandfatherly smile that put Karin in a smile of her own. He then looked to Team Natsu and said, "Remember, we're doing this for the three hundred mi– I mean, for the honor of being Fiore's top guild. Our beloved first master rose from her grave to aid us in our time of peril, so do your best and make us proud!"

"YEAH!" was the reply of the team.

"Now then, we know that the games will begin tomorrow. Unfortunately, we don't know what they'll be."

"What?" Natsu questioned. "I thought you do this every year."

"Yeah, but the games change every year," Alzack answered.

"He's right," Bisca agreed with her husband. "The year my sugar-pistol and I skipped out they had a big old target-shooting contest."

"The year I decided not to participate, they had a foot race," Jet added while running in place.

"They take the teams' scores from different contests and add them all together to determine the winner," Droy explained while chewing on a chicken leg.

"They like to mix it up," Levy said. "I looked through the previous records and there's no real consistency."

"Well," Natsu said while smacking his fists together, "…we'll just have to play it by ear. But I hope there's going to be a fight."

While that was happening, Erza was busy contemplating the favor Jellal asked of them. Unfortunately, so many guilds will be participating in the tournament, and that many people would make it difficult to locate the culprit they were looking for. That said, they will still carry out this request since it was of utmost importance. "Mysterious magic power…and the games are a mystery as well?"

The scarlet-haired knight was snapped out of her thoughts when she felt something shoved into her hands. Looking down, it was Makarov handing her the rule book for the competition.

"Erza, I want you to read the rules by tomorrow morning," Makarov ordered.

"I'm to read all of this?" the knight asked.

"I'm not sure if she'll be able to finish that before the start of the games," Orihime commented as she approached the master.

"Don't worry guys," Levy came up wearing her Wind-reader glasses on, "…I'll help you out." Jet and Droy all had ridiculous looks on their faces at the back while staring at the blue-haired bookworm.

"Levy to the rescue!" Lucy exclaimed.

The bookworm took the tome of rules and began scanning its contents. Levy flipped pages at a quick pace as she searched for rules that might be important. "To sum it up, I would say there are three major rules." Levy began to explain the contents. "First, the guildmaster isn't allowed to participate in the competition."

"Understandable," Makarov nodded.

"No person is allowed to participate if he or she does not bear the insignia of their respective guild," Levy continued.

"That kind of goes without saying," Gray remarked.

"And every game will remain a mystery until it is announced. Only then will its rules be announced in detail," the Solid Script mages finished. She then continued to scan the book for any details she missed.

"Well, that didn't help," Erza remarked.

"This one might be important," Levy interjected, catching the attention of the participating mages. "All participants must be in their designated inns by midnight."

"There's a curfew?" questioned the Requip mage.

"What time again?" Lucy asked Levy.

"I suppose they mean midnight tonight," Carla answered.

"Or what, we all turn into pumpkins?" Gray quipped. "That reminds me of the story about the princess and the ice slipper."

Unbeknownst to them, Juvia was hiding behind a building watching over the unsuspecting team. Her eyes were focused on a certain Ice-Make wizard. "My darling only talks of love and romance only when I'm not around?" She then pictures herself in a fancy gown while being carried by Gray bridal style. "My Ice Prince!"

"Cool!" Natsu yelled in excitement. "We got tons of time and since it's our first time in the capital, we should head out and explore!" he then went running off.

"Aye!" Happy followed his fire-breathing partner.

"Wait for me!" Lucy shouted as she ran to follow the duo.

"Hold on!" Erza called out. "Do you even know where we'll be staying?"

"The Honeybone Inn, right?" the blonde Celestial Spirit answered.

"Just be back by midnight, okay?"

"Yeah!" answered the three mages before disappearing into the city.

Yuzu giggled at the antics of the two wizards until she caught a glimpse of Lisanna in the corner of her eye. The young Take-Over mage seemed sad as she watches her childhood friend run off with Lucy to explore Crocus. "Something wrong, Lisanna?"

"Umm…no, Yuzu," replied the youngest Strauss, waving her hands in denial. "Everything's fine."

"Ok," the youngest Kurosaki sibling replied. She had an idea why Lisanna looked sad a moment ago, but it wasn't something she should get involved with.

"Hey Kazui," Wendy called her Soul Reaper friend. "You want to come and explore the city with me and Carla?"

"I'm sorry Wendy," Kazui replied while rubbing the back of his head. "I promised mom and Master Makarov to set up the lodges we'll be staying in."

"Oh." A bit disappointed, she understood the boy's predicament.

Seeing this, Kazui quickly tried to brighten up her mood. "It's ok, Wendy. Maybe when we're both free we can go explore the capital!"

"I'd love that," the Sky Dragon Slayer's sour mood quickly changed, and she smiled at the boy. She then took off with her Exceed partner to explore the rest of Crocus. "See you later, Kazui! Everyone!"

"See you soon, Wendy!" the boy said in return. He turned around and saw everyone looking at him funny. All the men were giving him smirks while the girls were giggling. Even Lisanna, who was gloomy earlier, was chuckling. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Karin approached her nephew with a devious smile that spelled trouble for the young reaper. She swung her arm over Kazui before looking at him with an evil glint in her eye. "My…my. Who knew my nephew was such a ladies' man?"

Kazui turned beet red from that little comment. "W-What are y-you saying?"

"Kazui's a real man!" Elfman exclaimed and raised his arms in the air.

"Ahhh…young love," Mirajane and Lisanna said with bright smiles on their faces.

"It's not like that!" the boy retorted before looking at his other aunt. "Aunt Yuzu, help me out here!"

"Sorry, Kazui," Yuzu apologized to the boy. "Even I think that was very sweet of you."

"Traitor!" Kazui yelled at Yuzu.

Orihime stepped in and looked at her son with a very bright smile while she tilted her head to the side, and she clasped her hands together. "Wendy's a sweet girl. I wouldn't mind having her as my daughter-in-law."

"Mom, not you, too!" the boy yelled incredulously as comedic tears began to leak from his eyes. The teases coming left and right made the boy hide in some random corner and curl up in embarrassment. Of course, it didn't help that everyone began laughing at his predicament.

Nighttime.

Wendy and Carla were gingerly walking down the streets of Crocus. They were headed right now to the capital palace of the city known as Mercurius Castle. When they managed to reach the structure, they were awed by the complexity and splendor of the building.

"Wow," Wendy exclaimed in awe. "It's so beautiful isn't it, Carla?"

"Breath-taking," the white cat responded.

"They call it Mercurius, the Luminaria Flower Palace."

"Looking at it makes me wonder what the king is like."

"Maybe he has a long white beard," Wendy suggested.

"Perhaps he does, my child," Carla replied.

Unknown to the two; however, a small creature was sinisterly watching over them.

Meanwhile, Lucy and Natsu, along with Happy, were looking around the city and noticed that most homes and establishments had flowers decorated around them.

"It's amazing how many flowers there are in this city, don't you think?" Lucy asked no one in particular.

"Well, they don't call Crocus the 'Flower Blooming Capital' for nothing," Happy replied.

Suddenly someone shouted that there was a fight going on in a nearby courtyard. This got Natsu all excited at the prospect of an early warm-up. "Heck yeah! I guess street fights are part of the festival too." Natsu quickly ran into the gathering crowd.

"With many guilds participating, it's bound to have random brawls here in the city," the blue cat replied as he followed his Dragon Slayer partner.

"Hey, you guys!" Lucy yelled at the two.

While running towards the scuffle, Natsu's nose twitch as a certain smell felt familiar to him. "Hey, Happy. Do you smell that?"

"What is it, Natsu?" Happy questioned his friend.

"It smells like a dragon is nearby," the pinkette replied before his eyes widened and quickened his pace. Once he reached the courtyard, he pushed his way through the sea of people watching the skirmish. He was even forced to crawl through the onlookers since no one was budging. "What's going on?"

In the center were two mages. One was a dark-haired young man with a scar on his face wearing a black coat. The other had light blonde hair while wearing a blue vest with ruffles on the edges. With them were two cats: one was a red one wearing a blue vest while the other was wearing a pink frog suit.

The light blonde mage stepped on the head of a downed wizard. "Anyone else?"

"These guys are losers," the red cat said arrogantly.

That's when Natsu showed up and got noticed by the two wizards. "Well, look who's here," the vest-wearing wizard said.

"Is that Natsu Dragneel?" the black-haired one asked.

Happy, on the other hand, was surprised to see two other cats. "Kitties!?" asked in confusion.

"Look at this cat with the stupid look and blue fur!" the red cat taunted.

"He's a stupid pussycat," the other one added.

"…And they can talk!?" Happy exclaimed.

"That's surprising why, exactly?" Lucy, who just came, asked the blue feline in annoyance.

Meanwhile, with Natsu, he stared at the two unknown mages before replying to their question. "Yeah, that's me. But who are you?"

One onlooker looked at Natsu like he was some idiot. "Has this guy seriously never heard of Sting and Rogue, the Twin Dragon Slayers?"

"They're one of the main forces behind the strongest guild," another spectator added.

"These two are members of Sabretooth?" Lucy questioned, to which the onlookers nodded.

"You think you are hot stuff?" Natsu said to the two sabretooth wizards.

Sting walked up to Natsu and began chuckling. "So, the rumors about you entering the Magic games this year are true."

"How do you know who I am?" the fire mage questioned the light blonde wizard.

"Everyone knows who you are," replied Sting as he bends down and got close to Natsu's face. "You're the so-called dragon slayer who couldn't slay a dragon. Doesn't sound much of a dragon slayer to me." The Sabretooth wizard then straightened himself and returned to his partner's side before continuing to mock the pinkette. "The sad part of it is, I used to look up to you, and my friend here was a big fan of Gajeel's."

"It was more of a curiosity as he was a fellow dragon slayer," Rogue corrected his partner.

Natsu was still shocked to see others like him. "You've got to be kidding me? You're dragon slayers?"

"We've preferred to be called 'True Dragon Slayers' instead," Sting replied. "Unlike you, we could've easily slain Acnologia."

"You would've said a different story if you've gone up against that monster as we did," Lucy countered the arrogant slayer.

"Yeah," Happy yelled. "You weren't even there!"

"This cat sounds as tough as he looks," the red cat mocked Happy.

"Yeah! You're way smarter than him, Lector," the other cat added.

"It doesn't matter if we were there or not," Rogue declared to the Fairy Tail mages.

"When it comes down to it, we're far superior," Sting taunted.

Now known as Lector, the red cat stepped in and explained why Sting and Rogue were superior. "Let me explain a little something to you," he began. "Natsu and the other two Dragons Slayers are what's known as 'First Generation Dragon Slayers' since they got their magic first-hand from a dragon. Meanwhile, your buddy Laxus and that guy Cobra from Oración Seis are what's known as 'Second Generation Dragon Slayers' since their powers came from a dragon lacrima embedded into their bodies. Sting and Rogue are far more powerful because not only do they have dragon lacrimas implanted in them but they were also taught by actual dragons, making them 'Third Generation Dragon Slayers'! They're the ultimate Dragon Slayers."

"You think you're so much better than everyone else?" Natsu questioned in irritation.

"They don't think they're better because they are," Lector replied smugly. "There's a huge gap in power between a First Gen and a Third Gen."

"Tell me something. Did your dragons disappeared on the seventh day of the seventh month seven years ago?" Natsu asked the two slayers in the hopes of getting information on Igneel.

"You could say that," Sting answered vaguely.

"More to the point, they died," Rogue clarified, which caused Natsu to gasp in shock. "The dragons that taught our magic to us, we eliminated them so that we could earn the right to be called 'True Dragon Slayers'."

"I don't believe it," Lucy uttered in surprise.

"Is it true?" Happy questioned. "…Humans killing dragons?"

Natsu, however, was seething with rage at this revelation. "You scumbags! Those were your parents!"

"So what?" Sting questioned Natsu with a smug smile. "It only proves that we're better than you because we killed actual dragons, even if we…."

Sting stopped his mocking when he felt the air becoming heavy. He looked to his partner and saw Rogue with a surprised look on his face. Then suddenly, a colossal pressure engulfed the entire courtyard. One by one, the civilians watching the fight earlier dropped to their knees and started gasping for air. Sure enough, those who couldn't take the pressure passed out from the sheer weight. Sting and Rogue were on their knees, trying to resist the overwhelming sensation they were feeling. It wasn't any different for Natsu and Lucy, for they too were having difficulty breathing. As for the cats, there were trembling from not only the strain the force was exerting on their tiny bodies but also the fear of whoever or whatever was producing this insane power.

Lucy knew whom this power belonged to. The memories of their mission to Aldebaran made her remember just how powerful this man was. As the blonde Celestial wizard looked up, she saw a black-robed figure standing behind Sting and Rogue. "Ichigo."

The mages and the cats looked to Ichigo, who had a deathly glare pointed at the twin dragons. His robes were flapping from the power he was releasing. It turns out that he heard everything the Sabretooth guildsmen were saying and was abhorred by it. Ichigo knew all too well what it means to lose parents, and hearing these two say they killed those who raised them was just loathsome.

"What kind of person would kill the one who raised them just for power?" the Soul Reaper asked with venom in his words.

"Why do you care!?' Sting answered back.

Wrong answer. The pressure weighing on them further intensified, putting the resisting mages and cats onto their stomachs as their breathing became more difficult.

When Lucy managed to raise her head to see the reaper, her whole body went white with fear and dread. She saw Ichigo's eyes were now demonic. The sclera was now black instead of white, while his irises were golden yellow. The only creature she saw with those eyes was the one they fought in Aldebaran. "A…h-h-hollow!" she screamed in her head as the very image of the monster flashed through her eyes.

"I lost my mother when I was nine and my father died in a war trying to save me and my sisters," Ichigo said, earning a gasp from Natsu, Lucy, and Happy. "I saw them die right in front of my eyes. I felt weak and powerless, so I sought power to protect those I care about." His glare intensified at the two Sabretooth wizards, who gulped in fear. "Hearing about you killing the dragons that raised you disgusts me. You were meant to protect them and make them proud, but instead, you murdered them in cold blood. For what? To be called 'True Dragon Slayers'? You are nothing but trash and I have no qualms killing you two murderers right now."

Again, another gasp escaped from the Fairy Tail mages. They never thought Ichigo would try to kill someone. It just didn't seem like him. As for Sting and Rogue, the fear of death washed over them. Never before have they seen such anger and fury all expressed in an absolute display of sheer power. It made them shiver at the thought this man won't hesitate to end them. It was clear in his eyes, Ichigo wasn't new to killing.

That's when they saw it. A visage of something horrifying that would haunt them for the rest of their lives. A monster with a white skull-like head and jagged teeth hissing ferociously. It had two lines that raced down the eyes and cheeks and another two lines that ended into a point right on its forehead. On the beast's temples were massive bull-like horns that curved forward.

There was only one thing on their minds when this image of a demonic figure was reflected over Ichigo.

Death.

They were going to die. Even Happy, Natsu, and Lucy were shaking in pure terror. But then, the pressure slowly lifted until it disappeared altogether. When they looked up, they saw the image of the beast over Ichigo to have vanished.

The Soul Reaper then slowly walked to his guildmates and helped them stand up. Next, he turned his head to the two frightened mages from Sabretooth and said, "I'll let you go for now since you are still part of the event. But if I ever see you again and you don't change your ways, I will put you down expeditiously." He then grabbed the three stunned guildmates and disappeared with a Flash Step.

Sting and Rogue sat there, still stunned at the events that unfold. Whoever that person was, he was someone whom they wish to never meet. The power Ichigo exuded was something they will never forget.

"Who was that?" asked a terrified Rogue.

"They called him Ichigo," answered an also terrified Sting.

"Rogue," the cat wearing the frog costume ran to the black-haired slayer and hid in his chest. "I'm scared."

"Who was that guy?" Lector asked as he approached Sting. "I felt like I was going to die."

"I don't know…but whoever he is, we should avoid him at all costs."

Rogue and the cats agreed. This was one man they should never cross.

Erza was sitting on the edge of the bed, her arms and legs crossed while looking at the three members who were supposed to be back earlier. "Why were you three late?" the redhead asked in irritation.

Gray looked away from the woman and answered, "I met a rival and had a bad meal."

"We met two jerks from Sabretooth," Lucy answered before adding, "…and nearly died of a heart attack because of Ichigo's spiritual pressure."

"Ichigo?" Erza asked curiously.

"Yeah. Ichigo was there with us when we encountered Sting and Rogue from Sabretooth," Natsu replied. He then paled as he recalled the very look the Soul Reaper had while staring down on the twin slayers. "He was frightening. It was like seeing a creature more sinister than a demon."

"He's right," Lucy added. "He heard how the twin dragons killed their caretakers and it just pissed off Ichigo. When I looked into his eyes, I saw something similar to a hollow. He said he had no qualms killing the two…and the way he said it felt like he already killed before."

Lucy's input made everyone in the room go silent for a moment. They knew Ichigo was a kindhearted man who protects his family, so to hear Lucy say that he won't hesitate to kill his enemies made them shudder in fear. There was one thing that crossed Erza's mind, however.

"Have any of you seen Wendy?" the redhead asked.

"No," replied Lucy.

"Now that you mention it, I haven't," Gray answered.

"I think she's with Carla right now and it's not like her to get lost," Happy said.

"It's almost midnight, though," Erza said with worry.

That worry was also evident in Lucy. Unlike Erza, however, the Celestial mage began imagining improbable scenarios like Wendy and Carla becoming a delinquent.

Seeing the reaction from the worried blonde, Gray simply face-faulted before commenting, "I know you're a writer and all, but this isn't some cheesy crime novel."

The door opened to reveal Lisanna, Elfman, Orihime, and Kazui carrying some supplies for the contestants.

"Lisanna!" Natsu cried at seeing the white-haired girl. This promptly made the young Strauss sibling blush.

"We've come bringing supplies!" Elfman said with glee.

"Tomorrow's going to be a big day!" Orihime added.

"Thanks a lot, you guys," Gray said to the guests.

"Have you come here to see us kick some ass?" Natsu asked the older Strauss.

"Heck yeah!" Elfman answered. "Although I did want to get in on the action, a real man knows when it's not his time."

"Kazui," Lucy called the young Soul Reaper, who was happily munching on something. "What are you eating?"

"Pickles with peanut butter!" the boy replied happily.

"That's a weird choice for food," Lucy commented in her mind. "Did his taste came from Orihime?"

"Where's Wendy?" the boy asked while looking for her friend.

"That's the thing," Erza responded. "She's hasn't come back yet."

"…And those of us competing should be here in our inn before midnight," Gray added.

"What happens at midnight?" Lisanna sked the Ice mage.

"Don't know. It's just we're supposed to be here before midnight." The clock then struck twelve, and the sound of bells echoed through the room. "…Which is now," Gray added.

"ATTENTION ALL PARTICIPANTS FOR THIS YEAR'S GRAND MAGIC GAMES…GOOD MORNING!"

The mages heard the announcement and quickly went to the balcony to see what was going on. They saw a large projection of a dwarf wearing a pumpkin head suit.

"To whittle down the one hundred thirteen guilds to a more manageable eight, let the preliminary rounds begin!"

The wizards, regardless of affiliation, were surprised at this turn of events. For one, there were no preliminary events in previous tournaments, so this was completely unexpected. To the Fairy Tail contestants, though, it was much more complicated. For one, there are just too many contestants this year. Add to the fact that the warning from Jellal about the dark energy gathering in the capital. It was just too much of a coincidence. So what were the organizers planning?

"Although the number of guilds multiplies each year," the pumpkin man projection said while dancing, "…the games have become boring now, is all I ever hear. Let's whittle them down I say to you and give only eight a cheer!"

The ground began shaking all of a sudden. They looked down and saw that the inn they were staying in was rising. Everyone braced themselves while Natsu was covering his mouth to make sure not to throw up. However, it wasn't just their inn that rose as the other lodges occupied by the other contestants were also rising.

"Now, you will all be participating in a race!" the projection began explaining. "The finish line is at the Domus Flau colosseum. Only the first eight to reach the end will move on to the Grand Magic Games!

A path began forming that reached into the sky.

"You are free to use magic as you see fit. There are no restrictions. Remember though, only the first eight to reach the end will get to clear this round. However, all five team members must cross the goal for it to count." This earned a gasp from the contestants. "One more thing, we are not responsible for any loss of life that happens within the labyrinth."

"Say what!?' Natsu exclaimed as he and the rest of his teammates saw a spherical structure floating in the sky. It was a gigantic maze that had the sculpture of a pharaoh's head in the center.

"Without further ado, let Grand Magic Games Preliminary Round: Sky Labyrinth, BEGIN!" the projection announced before disappearing.

"Well, if it's a race they want, then let's get going," Gray suggested while trying to head to the steps in front of them.

"Wait!" Erza called before the Ice mage could leave. "The rules say that all five members should cross the finish line to qualify. We can't leave without Wendy."

That bit of information caught them by surprise.

"Shit," Gray muttered. "What do we do now?"

The towering figure of Elfman stood over them with a devious smile. "Why wait for a little girl," he said, "…when you have a real man!?" Without a second thought, the hulking Strauss grabbed the participating mages and made a mad dash towards the Sky Labyrinth. "ROSTER CHANGE!"

"What are you doing, big bro!?" Lisanna yelled at her brother.

"He's doing what needs to be done!" Gray replied. "If we wait for Wendy, we won't make it in time!"

"Lisanna, Orihime, Kazui, Happy!" Erza called the guildmembers in the inn. "I need you to look for Wendy and Carla. I'm worried that they might've run into some kind of trouble!"

"You got it!" the four replied before heading and began their search.

"Wendy is missing?" Romeo asked the four guild members who were searching for the missing slayer girl. Behind the young fire, the mage was Nab.

"Did something happen?" the stout mage asked.

"We can't find her or Carla anywhere!" Happy said with worry.

"Don't the rules say you need five members to participate?" Romeo questioned. "Don't tell me they've been disqualified!"

"No," Orihime assured the boy. "Luckily, Lisanna's older brother stepped in as a last-minute replacement."

"NO FAIR!" Romeo yelled in frustration. "If I've been there, they would've chosen me instead of that big dummy!"

"Yeah. I think Kazui has a much better chance than you, if I were being honest, Romeo," Happy quipped, making the fire mage cry comical tears of sorrow.

"We're going to go and begin looking for them," Lisanna told the two mages. "You two tell the others. We'll have a better chance if we split into teams and use Warren's telepathy."

"We can add more eyes to the search," Orihime said, raising a few eyebrows.

"What do you mean?" Nab questioned.

"Shun'ō, Ayame, Baigon, Hinagiku, Lily, Tsubaki. I need your help guys." Orihime's hairpins began to glow. The objects then burst into six fragments that transformed into small humanoid beings with wings.

The mages looked at the six figures floating in the air. "Fairies!"

"We're more like pixies than fairies," replied the pixy in black.

"Everyone, these are my spirit pixies," Orihime introduced them to the wizards. "This is Shun'ō, Ayame, Baigon, Hinagiku, Lily, and Tsubaki."

"Hey ya!" "What's up?" and "How's it going" were the greetings by the tiny spirits.

"Hey, guys!"

"It's Kazui!" the spirits all gathered around the young death god. "How've you been, kiddo?" asked Baigon.

"Hehe…I've been good."

"So, what do you need, Inoue?" Shun'ō asked.

"Inoue?" thought the mages in confusion.

"Oh, Shun'ō," Orihime smiled at the spirit. "I'm married now, so I'm a Kurosaki."

"Oh yeah. So, what do you need?"

"You remember Wendy, right?"

"Yup," Hinagiku replied. "That sweet blue-haired girl. What about her?"

"She's missing, and I need your help to look for her."

"Yeah! Could you please help us look for her?" Kazui added.

"Is she your girlfriend?" Lily teased, causing the boy to turn red.

"NO!" Kazui replied in denial. "Why would you even say that!?"

"Aw," Ayame exclaimed. "Kazui's growing up."

"Even you!?"

"Ok. Ok. We'll look for the girl." Shun'ō said before turning to the rest of the pixies. "Ok, guys. Spread out and search high and low!" After that command, the six spirits disappeared as they separated into the different parts of the city to look for the missing Wendy and Carla.

Silence reigned for a few moments before Romeo decided to break it.

"Well, that was weird."

"More like embarrassing," Kazui muttered, still red-faced.

"We should begin searching," Lisanna said, getting the mages' attention.

"Right," Orihime nodded. "Kazui, you go with Lisanna and Happy. I'll go with Romeo and Nab to the rest of the guild and get Warren to set us a telepathic link. Romeo. Warren. Grab onto me and hold tight." The two wizards did as she told them, and once they had a hand in Orihime, they disappeared, leaving a trail of golden light where she was standing.

"Woah!" Lisanna could only mutter in surprise at the speed of the Fullbringer. "What did she do?"

"That was Bringer Light," Kazui replied. "A high-speed movement technique unique to Fullbringers like mom. Let's go and look for Wendy."

Lisanna nodded. She, along with Happy and Kazui, then left to search for the girl in question.

Max Alors, Warren Rocko, and Alzack met at a random intersection after scouring the city searching for Wendy.

"Any luck?" Alzack asked Max.

"None," the sand mage answered. "You think a girl with a flying cat would be inconspicuous, but no one's seen them."

"It's weird," Warren remarked. "It's not like Wendy to just wander off like that."

"We need to find them. I'm sure the team's concerned."

"Did you find anything, Warren?" Lisanna asked through the telepathic link.

"No," the telepath replied. "We scoured every inch of Crocus but couldn't find even a hair of them. The only place left to search is Mercurius Castle."

"That reminds me!"

Lisanna looked to Happy, who stopped running and simply stared at the castle in the distance.

"I remember Carla mention something about visiting the attractions in the city," the cat said.

"Hold on to me," Kazui told the white-haired mage and the cat with him.

"What for?" Lisanna asked.

"I can get us there faster."

Happy and Lisanna looked at each other before nodding and placing a hand on the young reaper. In an instant, their images vanished, only to reappear inside the palace gardens instantly. The two mages who weren't accustomed to instantaneous travel bent over and gasped.

"What the heck was that?" the Take-Over mage asked after managing to catch her breath.

"Flash Step," Kazui answered coldly, which was something unusual for the boy. "Let's split up. I'll search the majority of this maze with my Flash Step while you two take the other direction." After those words, the boy's image fractured into nothingness.

"I've never seen him like that before," Happy commented at Kazui's expression.

"He's really worried about Wendy," Lisanna replied, understanding what the boy was feeling. "Come on. Let's go!"

"Aye!"

After minutes of searching, Happy managed to find a clue to Wendy and Carla's whereabouts. "Lisanna!"

"What is it, Happy?" the young woman asked while approaching the blue cat.

"I found this," the tomcat showed what looked like a purse with a red and white plaid design with a heart-shaped clip on the cover.

"That's Wendy's." From behind, they saw Kazui approaching them with a scowl reminiscent of his father. "So, they were here."

"Now I'm really worried," Lisanna remarked. They then went further into the maze, and as expected, they saw Wendy and Carla passed out.

Kazui Flash Stepped towards the unconscious girl and quickly cradled her in his arms. "Wendy, wake up!" he said while shaking the poor girl awake.

"Come on, Carla," Happy did the same thing to the white cat.

"I'm going to send a pulse so my mother can find us," Kazui said as his spiritual energy skyrocketed, causing his two companions to widen their eyes. Finally, the act brought the desired outcome as Orihime appeared in front of them via Bringer Light.

"What happened here?" the Fullbringer quickly went to check on the two.

"We found them already unconscious," Lisanna replied. "They don't seem injured, but I can't sense any magic power from her or Carla."

Wendy's squinted before slowly opening her eyes. The girl's pupils were dilated, and it looked like something scared her.

"Wendy!" Kazui cried while shaking the girl. "It's me, Kazui."

"No!" the young maiden tried to cover her eyes as she pleaded in fear. "Please, don't hurt me."

"No one's going to hurt," the young reaper assured the frightened girl. He held her close to him, and the action seemed to calm her down. "I'm here. You don't need to be afraid anymore."

"Kazui," Orihime called her son, "…take Wendy and Happy to the infirmary using Flash Step while I'll bring Lisanna and Carla there using my Bringer Light."

The boy nodded to his mother and signaled the blue cat to grab onto him. Lisanna did the same to Orihime while cradling the unconscious cat with her. In a matter of seconds, both parties disappeared from the palace gardens.

"You found them!?" Natsu asked after slamming the infirmary door open. Inside were the rest of his team, along with Lisanna, Happy, Kazui, and Orihime. They managed to pass the preliminaries even if they were eighth place in the ranking. "Where were they?"

"We found them in the palace's gardens," Happy replied.

"She has no injuries whatsoever," Orihime said as Sōten Kesshun was set up to heal the unconscious two. "They had their magical energies taken so I'm using my abilities to restore it."

They heard the girl moan a bit and saw Wendy open her eyes. She looked around and felt safe knowing who was with her.

"Take it easy, Wendy," Kazui told the girl.

"What happened?" the pinkette fire mage asked the bedridden girl in concern.

"I don't know," Wendy answered weakly. "Sorry, but I can't remember. It's all just a big blur."

"It seems that she is suffering from Magic Deficiency Syndrome."

The mages turned around and saw a familiar old lady standing in the doorway.

"Porlyusica!" Lisanna exclaimed. "Wait, what are you doing here?"

"Something wrong with cheering our team?" the old doctor asked sarcastically.

"No ma'am!" the Take-Over mage answered quickly like a cadet.

"Calm down, child. I wasn't scolding you," Porlyusica said with a soft smile. "Don't be so nervous. I'm not going to eat you."

"Right."

"I came here because I was concerned," the wizened healer explained. "I heard what happened and thought I could help." She then looked at Orihime with respect. "It seems, however, that won't be needed since this lady here has fully healed Wendy back to her peak. What's your name, dear?"

As a common courtesy, she bowed her head to show respect to the elder. "My name is Orihime Kurosaki, Lady Porlyusica."

"Your healing powers are impressive, Orihime," Porlyusica praised the Fullbringer. "Even I can't do the things you can accomplish. I can honestly admit that your healing abilities far surpass mine."

"I am honored, Lady Porlyusica."

"Still, I recommend that Wendy here take some bed rest for at least a day or two."

This information eased all the mages' worry for the girl. Still, the circumstances that led her to this state were a mystery.

"Who did this to you?" Natsu asked his fellow slayer.

"It's still a big blur for the most part," replied Wendy. "But I remember seeing a strange black creature." The image of that very creature attacking flashed before her eyes. The fear in her eyes didn't go unnoticed by everyone as she began to tear up. Feeling shame for herself, she covered her face with the blanket and began sobbing. "I'm sorry. I trained so hard to help you, but I let you down." Her crying continued as she continued berating herself. "I'm just useless."

"No, you're not." Everyone, even Wendy, looked to Kazui, who said those words. "You're strong. You and Lisanna faced my father despite the enormous gap in power and survived. That day, you showed me that you have the resolve to fight. Today, you were ambushed. You didn't see it coming so it was out of your control."

Lisanna understood what the boy meant since she was there with the young Dragon Slayer when they fought Ichigo. They both showed conviction against an insurmountable enemy.

"I will find that bastard."

The mages were surprised at Kazui's change of voice. It sounded tortured and reverberating. When they looked to see the boy, a sudden chill ran down their spine. Kazui's eyes changed color from normal to that of a black sclera and golden irises. The most disturbing thing, however, was the mass of white substance forming over his right eye. It slowly covered the top right side of his face, forming a partial mask that resembled the one he had back in Aldebaran.

"I'm going to find that bastard who did this to you and when I do…." Kazui tightly gripped the hilt of his zanpakūto, "…I will kill him."

"No!" Wendy quickly grabbed Kazui's free hand and held it close to her. Then, she sat at the edge of the bed and faced the young reaper. "I don't want you to kill, Kazui. I don't want you to become a murderer. I don't want you to become something you're not."

Kazui's features began reverting to normal. The sclera in his eyes turned white again, and his irises became dark orange once again. The mask that was forming over his right eyes slowly faded. "Ok, Wendy," he said as his glare softened. "Still, I can't let the one who attacked you go unpunished."

"He won't," Erza declared. "We will find him, and he will get what he deserves."

"Yeah!" Natsu yelled in agreement. "Whoever that guy is, we'll kick his ass for hurting you!"

"That's right!" Lisanna added.

One by one, all the mages in the room began claiming that they will make sure the person responsible for Wendy's condition face justice. It made the girl smile seeing her friends do all these things for her. But, that said, there was one person whom she appreciated the most.

Kazui took his hand from Wendy's grip, causing the girl to look at him in confusion. "Wendy," the boy began, "…whoever did this to you, I'm never giving them the chance to do it again. I won't let anyone or anything hurt you as long as I can fight." Then, the young Soul Reaper did something that surprised everyone in the room; he bowed by the waist until his torso was parallel to the ground. Then, he shifted his eyes up to look at Wendy with a determined expression.

The sight made Orihime cover her mouth to hide a smile of both pride and sincerity. The scene with his son reminded her of that fateful day her husband did the same thing for her. It was unmistakable, and it swelled her heart with pride for his son.

"I promise you, Wendy," Kazui said.

The look of determination and resolve in Kazui's eyes made Wendy blush faintly. What the boy was doing was making a vow…and it was all for her. And then, the promise came.

"I will protect you."

A/N: ModernRogue11 here. Before I get into my thoughts on the chapter, I like to thank users Akinong, DraconixVargas, and Owieeey for the positive reviews for this story. Truly, it means that readers such as yourselves appreciate the effort I put into my stories. My appreciation, however, doesn't just extend to the three mentioned but to all readers who enjoy this fanfiction.

As for my thoughts in the story, you may see Ichigo here to be harsher than the source material. My reason for this is that he and his sisters and wife were survivors of a war in which they lost everything. So in a way, Ichigo is experiencing Survivor's Guilt. He had the power to help but wasn't able to. Of course, he has taken steps to remedy this, but the moment he heard Sting and Rogue's claim of killing their dragon parents gave him the image of his mother and father dying right in front of him. He cherished his mother and admired his father despite the quirks, so to hear someone murder their parents just to gain power was already an insult to both Masaki and Isshin.

For Kazui, I wanted to depict Ichigo's personality in him this time around. In the previous four chapters, we saw Kazui as a happy, supportive, and friendly child that greatly reflects Orihime's attitude. I put him in a situation wherein his first true friend (and future love interest) is put in harm's way. We begin to see Ichigo's attitude get reflected in Kazui. Much like his father, Kazui will want to protect those closest to him, with Wendy being at the top of the list. Like Ichigo, Kazui is a protector, and that will come to light as this story progresses.

As usual, leave a like and comment if you enjoy the story. If you think I can improve some things, feel free to express them.

So, see you in the next chapter!