A/N: ModernRogue11 speaking. I'd like to address some comments that I've read and answer a few inquiries from you, great readers.

Guest: Thank you so much. Though it is a bit late since my birthday, it's never too late to show my appreciation for your greeting.

Nick Kane: Thanks for agreeing with my choice of pairing. I just hope that other readers won't feel offended that I chose Lisanna over Lucy.

Lil Author Vert: I fail to see how she said it like a cult member.

With that out of the way, let's move on to the chapter!

Chapter 15: Children of the Moon

Makarov was speechless.

Beside him was the first master of Fairy Tail, Mavis Vermillion explaining the intricate plan she had developed for this very match. It was fascinating seeing her like this and remembering just how much of a tactical genius his predecessor and godmother were. The old mage recalled the times when Mavis participated in the Trade Wars, lending her brilliant mind and leading her forces to countless victories. Right now, she is demonstrating to the whole audience the reason why she was called the Fairy tactician.

Orihime could see how effective her guildmates were performing. Earlier, Erza, Laxus, Gajeel, Gray, and Ichigo stood still and hadn't made any move. This resulted in the other teams gaining points over them and taking the lead. That all changed when they suddenly spread out in specific directions, encountering different rival mages, beating them, and gaining points for the team. It didn't take them long to take the lead once again. Looking at the ghostly child, the orange-haired Fullbringer saw one of her mentors, Kisuke Urahara, and to her dismay, Sōsuke Aizen in the little girl. Her intelligence and battle knowledge could be comparable to the two War Potentials. That being said, there was something strange with all of this plan she developed. Looking at the screens, there was still one person who hasn't moved from his place.

Ichigo, her husband.

The lone death god in the team didn't move a muscle. He was sitting in a lotus position with his twin swords on his lap, no doubt in the meditative Jinzen stance to commune with his sword spirits.

"I wonder what Ichigo is planning?" Orihime questioned. Throughout their stay in Earthland, she had observed her husband change. He still had that sense of justice and caring attitude from his youth, but now Ichigo is more reserved, calm, unrelenting, and to her mild surprise at first, calculating. Everything he does now has a reason, be it for the benefit of their family and now the guild. Seeing him doing nothing but meditating made the adult Fullbringer realize that sooner or later, her husband is going to pull something that will shock the entire coliseum. Thinking about it, Orihime can't help but chuckle. "Oh, Ichigo. You were always the flashy one between us even if you don't do it on purpose."

On the screens, everyone can see the mages, regardless of affiliation, struggle to gain the upper hand in the tournament. The majority of Quatro Puppy's members were eliminated during the early stages of the final round. For the other guild participants, their numbers were slowly dwindling due to successive eliminations from rival competitors. It didn't help that Fairy Tail finally made its move and strategically defeated various wizards at key points in the battleground. What the other guilds don't know was that Mavis Vermillion predicted with ridiculous accuracy how the entire match would go. The little ghost revealed this plan to her guildmates which they followed to a tee. From Team Blue Pegasus' Hibiki and Ren getting iced by Gray to Erza meeting Jenny Realight in a "random" alleyway, all of these scenarios were foreseen by the First Master. The most impressive win by Team Fairy Tail was Gray's victory against Rufus Lore of Sabretooth. When it seemed that the Memory-Make mage had an answer for the ice mage's magic, Gray whips out a spell that can't be memorized by the Sabretooth guildsman. This ultimately led to the masquerade-themed wizard's defeat. Still, there was one part of this plan that Team Fairy Tail had been doing secretly.

…And judging by the mischievous smirk on Mavis' face, it's sufficient to say that every piece in the proverbial chess board is falling into place.

"Alright!" Jet exclaimed in excitement. "We're back in first place!"

"If they can keep this up, we'll be sure to take the win!" Droy stated.

"Hold your horses," Macao interrupted. "Sabretooth still has three members in peak condition."

"Not to mention Jura and Lyon from Lamia Scale, Kagura from Mermaid Heel, Ichiya of Blue Pegasus, and even that Bacchus guy from Quatro Puppy," Wakaba added. "We're just getting to the hard part."

While the rest of the guild were celebrating, Makarov was growing concerned over the mages he trusted to retrieve Lucy and Yukino. It has been a while since they set out for the rescue and they haven't heard from them since.

"I can't help but feel worried for the rescue team," Makarov stated while thinking about Natsu and the others.

Mavis' smirk disappeared when she heard the old mage's words. Natsu and the rest were indeed gone for far too long than they hoped. "Yes. They do seem to be taking a while, don't they?"

The two mages caught Orihime and Kazui's reaction for a moment. They saw the mother and son widen their eyes as if they felt something.

"Something's wrong," Orihime said.

"What is it, Orihime?" the ghost questioned.

"Karin and Yuzu's reiatsu spiked just now."

Makarov and Mavis were alarmed at this reveal.

"What do you think happened to them?" Makarov asked.

"I'm not sure," the Kurosaki matriarch expressed her uncertainty. "Whatever it is, it can't be good."

"Then it's safe to assume that something's gone wrong," Mavis remarked.

"Mom?"

Orihime looked to her son who bore a worried expression. "What is it, dear?"

"Will our friends be alright?" asked the child.

"I hope so Kazui," replied the mother as her gaze shifted to the imposing palace. Her concern for her in-laws and daughter as well as her guildmates growing. "I hope so."

The rescue team plus the two once captive Celestial wizards were currently in a dilemma.

Natsu was lying face down while groaning over the hard rocks. For some reason, the fire mage's stomach decided it wanted food in the middle of god knows where. Considering that the food they carried disappeared during the fall, they can't help the salmon-haired dragon slayer in his predicament.

"Of all the times to get hungry, it had to be now," Karin groaned at the stupidity of the situation.

"I can't help it," Natsu expressed as he tried to stand up. "If I don't get some food now, I think I might keel over."

"Come on, Natsu," Lisanna encouraged. "You won't let a little hunger get in the way of getting our friends out of her, right?"

"I guess you're right, Lisanna," he said with a grin.

"That said, we won't find anything here worth munching on," Mirajane remarked while looking around.

"…And it won't be long before we become part of the scenery," Panther Lily commented while looking at dozens of skeletons from previous prisoners.

"THANKS FOR THE OPTIMISM, FURBALL!" Lucy cried at the Exceed.

Not long after that exchange, Happy and Carla came back to tell if there were any possible escape routes.

"Any luck, Happy," Natsu asked his flying friend.

"No," Happy answered. "The ceiling's completely blocked too."

"There doesn't seem to be any way out of here," Carla said.

"So, the only way out is through that maze over there," Yuzu sighed as she said that. "Great."

"We came in as jailbreakers and now we're inmates," Mira chuckled but it only made the situation glummer than it should be.

"I don't think that would help, big sis," Lisanna told her sibling.

"It's kind of pathetic," Wendy muttered in defeat.

Lucy tried to stretch her legs since they were becoming stiff. "Geez, my feet are killing me. How far does this place go anyway?"

"Well, I heard rumors from the guards that they had a special prison for the worst criminals under the palace that is ten times larger than the city itself. This must be it, Yukino answered which only made Lucy feel a tad more hopeless.

"I had to ask," the blonde mage uttered. She then looked to Natsu and wondered something. "Hey Natsu, aren't you supposed to be in the games?"

"Ichigo took my place in the team so I could help rescue the two of you," Natsu answered.

Yukino and Lucy looked to the dragon slayer and then the twins in surprise.

"Ichigo's in the games!?" the two Celestial wizards both asked in sheer bafflement.

"He is," the Soul Reaper twin answered. "He wanted to come and get you two himself but considering it was Yukino who got arrested and Kazui getting drained of his power, my brother suspected that the royal army would be prepared for him."

"Instead, he switched with Natsu so that all the attention would be diverted to him and not us," Yuzu explained further. "It worked for some measure until we fell into whatever this place is."

"For the record, you three didn't fall," Lucy sarcastically remarked.

Karin feigned innocence. "It's not our fault we can walk on air."

The group began walking further into the underground maze, realizing that the only way out of this hell hole was through it.

"Hey, Natsu. Lisanna."

The mages in question set their gaze to the silver-haired girl adopted by the Kurosaki.

"What's up…Ummm?" Natsu miserably tried to remember her name.

"Her name is Yukino, Natsu," Lisanna told the fire mage.

"Oh yeah! I remember!"

"No, you don't," Happy teased.

The youngest Strauss chuckled at their antics before returning her attention to Yukino. "So, what's up?"

"I just want to say thank you that the two of you stood up for me."

"We've been over this, Yukino," Lisanna told the Celestial mage. "You don't need to thank us because we simply did the right thing."

"I know but I just want to express my deepest gratitude." Yukino then looked to Natsu and said, "I also want to thank you, Natsu. When I was still in jail, Lucy told me that you stormed Sabretooth's headquarters and took on the guild all by yourself."

"It was no big deal," Natsu said. "Besides, when I got in there, they managed to capture Happy and take him hostage." That tidbit of info left everyone in surprise. "If you want to thank anyone then that should be Ichigo."

"I'm curious," Yuzu chimed. "What exactly did our brother do when he came after you?"

Natsu tried to recall that day and it made him shiver which did not go unnoticed by the others. For him though, this was the moment to ask what was up with the Soul Reaper. "I have a question about Ichigo."

"Shoot," Karin said.

"What's up with the freaky mask that constantly forms on his face?"

Lucy was also curious about it and added, "Yeah! Kazui can also make that weird mask. Is there something about the masks they can make?"

The twins looked at each other, sharing a look of understanding. It was only a matter of time before they get suspicious of the father and son.

"The masks are like power-ups for the two," Karin began answering. "It was something our late mother passed down to Ichigo. Kazui inherited that power but I don't know to what extent."

"Wendy," Yuzu called the little dragon slayer. "When you wore Kazui's mask, what did you feel?"

"Powerful," was all the bluenette slayer could describe. "Although, the longer I used it, the more it strained my body. If the fight with Chelia took any longer then I don't know what would've happened to me."

"That's a good observation, Wendy," the Quincy praised. "Your body isn't used to handling spiritual energy especially something as potent as Kazui's. If the fight dragged on, you might've collapsed on that borrowed power."

"Oh."

"There's something weird about their masks," Lucy expressed. "For some reason, it reminds me of what a hollow's face would look like."

"That's because it is a hollow mask," the younger twin answered flatly.

The mages all had wide eyes after the revelation. The only ones who didn't know were Lisanna and Yukino since they don't know what a hollow is.

"YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS!" Lucy shouted incredulously.

"We're dead serious," the older twin clarified.

"How can something so horrifying be connected to those two!?"

"It's a long story," Yuzu sighed as she replied. "Even the two of us couldn't believe it the first time. You up for listening?"

The mages nodded. Yukino herself was interested in learning the history of her foster father.

"It all started when our mom and dad met on a rainy day many years ago," Karin began. "Our father, Isshin Shiba, was a Court Guard captain sent to investigate the appearance of a strange hollow." The Soul Reaper twin looked to the two identical mages – Yukino and Lisanna specifically, and said, "Since you two don't know what a hollow is, it's a corrupted spirit that's so far gone its heart disappears, leaving a gaping hole in its place and wears a mask that supposed to represent what the heart desired."

"…or lacked," the Quincy in the group added.

"Right," Karin agreed and continued, "Dad eventually found the hollow, and based on how it was described, it was wearing jet-black armor with blades for hands, short bull-like horns, and a white skull-like mask."

Yuzu took over and continued, "The strange thing about that hollow was that instead of a huge hole in its chest, it had this red pulsating organ in its place." A look of disgust can be seen from the mages before the Quincy continued, "Dad engaged the hollow in a fierce battle and found out that its fighting pattern was that of a Soul Reaper and its power was reminiscent of a Menos Grande."

"What's a Menos Grande?" Happy asked while flying overhead.

"It's a sub-species of hollows that are vastly more powerful than regular hollows. That hollow you guys encountered in Aldebaran was an example."

"That was a Menos?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah. Judging by Ichigo and Orihime's description, that was an Adjuchas, the second evolutionary stage of Menos."

"So Menos can evolve," Lily remarked in understanding. "What are the other stages of a Menos' evolution?"

"The first is the Gillian which are gigantic, mindless hollows. They are an amalgamation of hundreds if not thousands of hollows clumped together. They don't have any form of intelligence and are driven only by pure instinct. Adjuchas are smaller yet more powerful compared to Gillians. They evolved from Gillians that retained their intelligence. They cannibalize other hollows to gain more power and eventually evolve. They need to continue consuming other hollows because if they stop, they'll revert to being Gillians and lose their sanity."

"Ok, so we already know about the Gillians and a bit about Adjuchas," Mira chimed in. "What about the last sub-species?"

"Vasto Lordes." Karin was the one who answered. "The final stage and most powerful form a hollow could achieve. They are very human-like and only a few existed in Hueco Mundo before its collapse. Some say you can count their numbers with your hands."

"How strong do you think they are?" Wendy asked curiously.

"You want an honest answer?" this earned the raven-haired reaper a nod. "Ten Vasto Lordes is enough to wipe out Ishgar off the face of the map in an afternoon."

The answer froze the mages in their tracks and looked to the twins with wide eyes.

"You're kidding…right?" Lucy asked with clear hesitation in her tone.

"No," Karin shook her head.

They all stood there quiet for a few minutes, pondering about this information they just heard. It was hard to believe that such creatures once existed. The mages were all glad that hollows no longer exist.

"Glad they don't exist here, right?" Mirajane asked to ease the tense mages.

"Yeah…" the others wholeheartedly agreed.

Carla decided to return to the original topic and questioned the twins. "So, you were telling us how your brother got his hollow powers?"

"Of course," Karin said and proceeded to retell the story. "When dad was fighting that mysterious hollow, he resorted to using his Shikāi to even the odds but he was attacked by an unknown assailant. It left him defenseless against the hollow but luckily, our mother, Masaki Kurosaki, arrived just in time to save him."

"What happened next?" Yukino inquired, her interest in the story growing.

"The hollow was too strong. In a bid to get a fatal shot, our mother let the creature bite her." They all gasp when Karin revealed. "They managed to kill the hollow, but in the process infected our mom with hollow energy."

"Is that a bad thing?" Wendy asked.

"Hollow energy is poisonous to Quincies," Yuzu replied in her sister's stead. "After that whole ordeal, our mom suffered something called Soul Suicide wherein the soul destroys itself. To save her, our father bonded his soul to our mother's to keep whatever that hollow was doing to her stop. He didn't do it alone though. He had the help of Kisuke Urahara, one of the War Potentials."

"So, what you're saying is that the hollow powers of Ichigo came from the infection your mother suffered when she let that creature bite her." Mirajane summarized. "Did I get that right?"

"Yup."

"But there is more to that though," Karin added. "When our brother was conceived, the hollow energy that infected our mom bonded with the Soul Reaper powers he inherited from dad. That hollow energy is now the entity that represents Ichigo's soul, becoming the very spirit that is manifested into one of his swords that gained the name Zangetsu, the Slaying Moon."

"If I'm hearing you right, the hollow is Ichigo's zanpakūto?" Lisanna questioned the siblings and they answered her with an affirmative. "Wow. I never would have thought that your family went through so much, especially your brother."

"He always protected us," Yuzu said with a smile. "He sacrificed so much to keep us safe and make us stronger. No doubt mom and dad would be proud of him."

Lucy remembered a detail from her conversation with the Kurosaki patriarch a while back. "Hey, Yuzu. Karin. Weren't your parents part of some noble family or something?"

This tidbit caught the other mages by surprise except for Mirajane.

"Yup," Karin replied with a proud grin. "Dad was a member of the Shiba Clan which was part of the Great Noble Houses of Soul Society while our mom was the last of a powerful noble clan of Quincies. Now that I think about it, our family is really special."

"So, in a way, your family can be considered royalty based on your heritage."

"You could say that."

"Well look at that," Natsu expressed. "Who knew our guild had royalty for its members?"

Suddenly, the entire cavern started shaking. The group momentarily lost its balance until the rumbling stopped. They wondered what could cause such a thing when Wendy sensed something.

"Guys! I sense an air current this way," the girl said and urged her friends to follow her.

It didn't take a while for them to locate a crevice separating two sections of the underground prison. Wendy and the Exceeds got in first, easily passing the narrow space the rocks provided. Natsu followed next. He had some minor difficulty when he accidentally stumbled over Wendy after getting to the other side. The girls, on the other hand, didn't fare well while trying to pass through the gap considering the…assets they carry. It was even harder for Mira and Lucy since they had the largest bust of the group. Eventually, they all managed to get to the other side. It seemed that they can finally rest easy when they all noticed a figure lying on the ground not far away. Taking a closer look, they were surprised to see who it was.

"It's Arcadios!" Yukino cried as they ran to the downed officer.

The knight in question had an expression showing pain. He wasn't wearing his usual armor. No, he wore normal clothes that were torn in different places. He had cuts and bruises all over his body while his limbs were having spasms, most likely due to whatever caused his current condition.

"He's hurt so bad," Wendy said regarding Arcadios' injuries.

"A fall wouldn't cause something like this," Yukino commented.

Her niece was right. Karin bent down beside the pained commander and studied his wounds. "I've seen these types of wounds before. This isn't caused by a mere fall. These injuries were inflicted by another person." She stood up and looked to the rest. "He was tortured."

"By whom?" Wendy questioned in concern.

"I don't know but be on your guard," the reaper advised while unsheathing her katana. "We're not alone here."

"She's right."

They turned around and saw Arcadios barely awake and groaning in agony.

"Run…away," he desperately told. "You're all in danger."

"Bakudō #44: Sekisho!"

A wall of spiritual energy quickly formed behind Natsu when a massive fist nearly hit the dragon slayer.

"What the hell!?" The giant figure exclaimed in confusion. "Why can't I melt this thing!?"

Wendy felt a shiver down her spine. She had a feeling that someone was behind her and sadly, she was current.

"My first catch of the day…"

The Sky Maiden turned around to see a weird man who was waving a flag with a fish motif.

"… and she's a beauty!"

The stranger exclaimed when he lifted his flag and a wave of water swept the Fairy Tail mages.

"Who are these guys?" Natsu asked but didn't get a reply when vines suddenly sprouted from underground and purple confetti flew into the air. The colorful paper all converged into a specific spot and quickly scattered to reveal a raven-haired woman wearing a purple kimono. The vines that appeared earlier were just part of a larger, sinister-looking carnivorous plant that opened its mouth wide, revealing its master inside its maw.

"Get out of here…" Arcadios told the wizards who were already in battle stance.

"Why? Do you know who these guys are?" Natsu asked the crippled soldier.

"They're an elite task force that serves the Fiore Kingdom from the shadows," Arcadios began saying. "They're ruthless, bloodthirsty executioners. They're called the Hungry Wolf Knights."

Finally, a man wearing a sinister mask appeared behind the four adversaries. Judging by his appearance and the way he carries himself, they all conclude that he was the leader. "Hungry Wolf Knights," the leader called, "…commence Operation #1500."

Jura felt something was off.

The Iron Rock mage had just defeated a member of Quatro Puppy in a less than spectacular bout that resulted in one unconscious mage kissing the dirt. Now, he was wandering around the city trying to find some sort of challenge that could at least give him some fun. At least, that's what he was doing. During his search for rival mages, Lamia Scale's strongest wizard can't help but feel as if someone from one of the other teams was guiding his actions. Every step he took was like taking a bread crumb laid out in the open, leading towards some kind of trap.

Turning around a corner, Jura found himself in one of the parks of Crocus. In the middle was an elegant fountain with water flowing elegantly, creating a beautiful display. However, it wasn't the landmark that caught his attention. No, it was the person meditating in front of it.

Ichigo Kurosaki.

A smile formed on the bald man's face when he laid eyes on the meditating reaper. This was the challenge he'd been looking for. Looking back at the third day of the games, Jura can vividly remember the impressive display of magic from the swordsman. The strange spells he used were unlike anything the magic world has ever seen and it only made him more excited at the prospect of facing this mysterious new member of Fairy Tail.

It also seems that he isn't the only one with the idea.

Not long after Jura's arrival, four other mages from the other guilds arrived. Kagura Mikazuchi of Mermaid Heel, Ichiya Kotobuki from Blue Pegasus, Bacchus Groh of Quatro Puppy, and Sting Eucliffe of Sabretooth all looked at each other and then turned their gaze towards the Soul Reaper.

"Well, this is interesting," Ichiya remarked as he sniffed the air. "The parfum in this place is strong given the people currently present."

"Indeed," Jura agreed. "The strongest mages of each guild have gathered in this particular area. This is a little more than just coincidence."

"Coincidence or not, I'll happily throw down with all of you if you like it," Bacchus declared after chugging down a bottle of liquor.

The other two contestants, Sting and Kagura to be specific, didn't say anything and opted to scrutinize the other mages present, more so Ichigo than the others.

Sensing their arrival, the aforementioned Soul Reaper opened his eyes and finally stood up. With both Zangetsu blades in his hands, Ichigo gazed at the mages who gathered around him. He can't help but internally chuckle at how accurate Mavis' prediction was. This was one of the main parts of the plan brought forth by the ghostly master. His teammates would defeat the other contestants in such a way that these specific people in front of him would follow a certain pattern of looking for enemy mages, which would eventually lead them to him in a free-for-all fight or if his luck would have it…

A five-on-one handicap match.

"Ichigo Kurosaki."

The reaper's attention was caught by Jura.

"It is a pleasure to finally be able to do battle with you in this tournament," the rock mage said.

"Likewise, Jura," Ichigo replied. He then turned his gaze towards the other wizards present and said, "So, how are we going to do this?"

"I could care less how we do this," Sting said while gathering his magic. "In the end, I will defeat all of you."

"Bold claim," Ichigo remarked and then turned to Kagura who was looking at him intently. "How about you, Miss Mikazuchi?"

"I've been wanting to test my metal with you," Kagura replied. "Seeing your swordsmanship on the third day made me curious since you weren't exerting yourself. I wish to see your true skill with the sword and find out how I compare myself to you."

"You have a good eye, young lady. I'd be happy to clash swords with you."

"Enough talk!" Bacchus yelled in annoyance. "Let's just get this over with and see who's the strongest between us!"

"I couldn't agree more," Ichiya said. Taking a bottle of perfume, he inhaled the fragrant smell and magic power began coursing through his body. His physique grew exponentially; his muscles tripled in mass and his strength rose to absurd heights. "Let's see how potent all your parfums are."

Bacchus chugged the last bit of alcohol into his system and threw the empty canister away. Wiping off some liquor on his lips, the drunken master grinned maniacally in anticipation of what could be the best fight of his life. "It's about damn time!"

Kagura held her sword in a drawing stance, her posture firm and senses alert for any subtle movement from the enemy mages. "All of you will fall by my blade."

Jura simply stood there with a calm yet cautious gaze at the other wizards present.

Sting had his fists alight, ready for the inevitable confrontation. "This is for you, Lector."

For Ichigo, he tied the ends of his two swords together using the cloth that covered the blades. After that, he flailed the larger weapon overhead, catching the mages in surprise. The massive sword gained momentum until it twirled rapidly next to its owner. This action caused the other wizards to share a look of confusion, especially Kagura since this is a sword style she had never encountered before.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this could be the greatest battle in the history of the Grand Magic Games!" Chapati Lola's voice could be heard from the speakers in the stadium. "With tensions growing between the six contestants, it's only a matter of time before one of them makes the first move!"

"Compose yourselves," the orange-haired reaper advised. "Hold your stances. Extend your consciousness. Do not waver and do not let your guard down, for if you do…"

To everyone's surprise, Ichigo vanished. Now on high alert, the four mages looked around to find the missing Fairy Tail member.

"…it will be your undoing."

They followed the sound of the voice only to see the carrot-top swordsman poised to attack Ichiya from behind. They froze as a sudden feeling of dread washed over them. They did not see this man move and yet they have lost him in their sights.

"How did he move so fast!?" was the collective thought of the four mages.

With a powerful swing, Ichigo flailed Zangetsu onto his target.

Now, the real battle begins.

Arcadios had warned them that these five were dangerous. As the secret unit tasked to do the dirtiest deeds for the kingdom, the Hungry Wolf Knights we composed of mages with powerful magic. First was Neppa, a towering man with the power to melt anything he touches. Next was Uosuke, a strangely dressed man with the power to alter the territory as he sees fit. There was Cosmos who used plant magic and then Kamika with her paper origami infused with powerful spirits. Finally, their leader was Kama who uses scythes with Nullification Magic built within it.

"By the authority granted to us by the Kingdom of Fiore, we the Hungry Wolf Knights will now carry out your sentence," the leader of the execution squad declared.

It was tense and silent for a moment until Natsu started laughing for no reason.

"This isn't a good time to go coo-coo," Lucy deadpanned at the dragon slayer.

"I'm sorry," the fire mage apologized while wiping a tear. "It's just…look at them! Can you blame me for laughing?"

Seeing how the people in question looked like, Lucy understood what Natsu meant. "I get your point."

"They don't give me that 'knightly' vibe," Lisanna added.

"Usually, you'd expect a group of knights to dress up in the same uniform," Mirajane voiced out.

"Where are your helmets and suits of armor?" Wendy asked the supposed knights.

"Hauling armor isn't our style," the man with the flag answered. "We're a secret squad so we got to stay undercover. If we wear that stuff then we'd be undercover no more."

"Do not let their appearances deceive you," Arcadios warned. "They have dangerous magic and if you're not careful then you're as good as dead."

Natsu didn't heed the injured knight's warning and simply said, "This is awesome! One epic brawl and our ticket out of this dump are secured! This is the kind of challenge I live for!"

However, the dragon slayer's eagerness for an all-out fight would be cast aside when a firm hand was placed on his shoulder.

"Wait a moment, Natsu," Karin said.

"What!? Why?"

"I want to ask a question to these lowlifes." The way Karin worded that sounded like she was angry. Moving in front of her guildmates, she stared down at the group of mages with a cold glare. "Were you sent here by the princess herself?"

"We have no reason answering the question of someone who will die soon," Kamika, the black-haired girl wearing the kimono answered smugly.

"So, you won't reveal the identity of the superior who sent you," Yuzu stated as she stood beside her twin.

Looking back at the rest, Karin gave her guildmates a knowing look before saying, "Leave this one to me and Yuzu."

"No fair!" Natsu cried out. "How come you get to fight them but not us?"

"Because I'm still pissed at that brat of a princess from earlier," the reaper answered. "Most of all, Yuzu wants in on this. None of you should get in the way when Yuzu is pissed. So, I suggest all of you back away for now while we blow off some steam."

Natsu did as he was told and obediently backed away from the two seething siblings. He wanted a piece of the action but if these two were anything like their older brother, then it's best to not get involved.

The leader scoffed at the two Kurosaki siblings. "Many did not fear the Hungry Wolf Knights and yet none of them still live. Your bones will join them soon enough."

"You think you've got the jump on us?" Karin questioned. "You're mistaken because you just bit off more than you could chew."

The pressure in the room increased exponentially. All of it was directed at the five enemies and yet they could still feel the overwhelming weight from the twins. As for the knights, they were frozen in place. The powerful force washing over them was an entirely new experience. Not once have they encountered anything in the past. They became cautious of these two women clad in black and white.

Not long after, the otherworldly pressure disappeared. Seeing that their intimidation display achieved the desired effect, the older twin decided to indulge the knights in some family trivia.

"Our family has always been connected to the moon in some way," Karin began. "It's been a running theme that began with our father. He was called the 'Burning Moon' because of his command over the element of fire. In a way, he represented the solar eclipse where the moon would cover the sun and yet the heat would still radiate upon the earth. My brother is the 'Slaying Moon' because he represents the new moon; the sky in its darkest and when the night is devoid of life. Figuratively, the moon was slain. Finally, we have my nephew who is the 'Shining Moon'. He is the full moon and with it, the sky is at its brightest." She held her zanpakūto forward; the tip facing the Hungry Wolf Knights while the blade ran parallel to the ground. "And then there's me. I represent the moon's dominion over the world's oceans. Its push and pull is the reason why the tides rise and fall. Because of that, I was given the name…"

The knights as well as the Fairy Tail mages wait in anticipation for the reveal.

"…the 'Drowning Moon'." A surge of water erupted from the ground. It encircled the black-clad reaper as the vicious torrent converged into the blade. With that, she uttered the release command. "Submerge, Suishigetsu."

The waters spun more wildly around the weapon. Everyone could see that the length of the torrent grew as the seconds go by before it burst forth, revealing a magnificent weapon that could only be forged by the finest smiths using the most exquisite of metals.

The weapon was a glaive. The long staff was similar in length to its wielder's height. The ends have deadly implements attached to them. On one end were a wide serrated blade with three rings dangling on the blunt side and a tuff of fur on its base while the other end had a crescent-shaped blade that glimmered menacingly.

It was Yuzu's turn to show her power. She stretched out her hand, the Quincy cross dangling from its chain. Gathering the spirit energy from the surroundings, that power took a bright whitish-blue color and converged into the pendant as a focal point. "Judgement of the fallen. Blessing of the heavens," she began chanting. "I call upon thee to aid my quest in vanquishing the unjust. Heed my call and become my power. Let my arrow guided by your light pierce the veils of darkness. Heilig Bogen!"

The energies condensed and formed an elegant bow. Its size was fairly big yet the structure was compact. Its design could be likened to the compound bow with multiple pulleys and levers all contributing to the deadly precision and power of the weapon. Engraved on the bow's body were Quincy motifs ranging from the cross to the renowned pentacle design that symbolized the monks of destruction.

The mages of Fairy Tail stood in awe of the weapons the siblings wield. Throughout their time doing missions and taking up quests, they've encountered various magical weapons with various capabilities. However, none of those could ever compare to what Yuzu and Karin were holding. The glaive owned by the Soul Reaper hummed in an ethereal glow, making it seem alive while Yuzu's majestic bow emanated power that could pierce the heavens.

The Hungry Wolf Knights became hesitant in fighting the two women in front of them. They were intimidated, no doubt, but it won't stop them from carrying out their mission. They were given an order…and they're willing to see it through.

Big mistake…

The knight who carried the flag, Uosuke, stepped forward, shaking off the uneasy feeling, and began mocking Yuzu and Karin. "Just because you ladies have fancy weapons doesn't mean…"

A flash of light and in a blink of an eye, the assassin knight was sent through the cavern and got impaled by the shoulder to a wall.

"AAAAAARGH!"

The other executioners saw with fearful bafflement what had transpired. None of them registered the attack coming and in seconds, one of their own was already subdued. They all turned around to see the white-clad archer with her bow raised after releasing a shot.

"If you think for one second that we're trapped in here with you, you're wrong," Karin said, her glare becoming more heated. "You're trapped in here with us."

"Hungry Wolf Knights!" the leader called. "Be ready!"

Weapon in hand, Karin moved forward, slowly approaching the wary group killers. Twirling her glaive for intimidation, she then said, "We're going to show you just how outclassed you are." She then disappeared.

"What the!?" the plant manipulator, Cosmos exclaimed. "Where did she…?" she didn't get to finish when a hand suddenly palmed her face before being chucked with such force. She slammed into a wall and groaned in pain.

"Why you!?" Neppa, the one who had tried to melt Natsu earlier, charged at the Soul Reaper. He cocked his fist back and coated it with his melting magic. He didn't get to use it though when his arm was shot with three arrows courtesy of Yuzu. "You bitch!"

The woman in question didn't let the taunt get to her. Yuzu disappeared via Hirenkyaku to knee the big man in the Solar Plexus. The giant gasp as the air suddenly left his system, leaving him vulnerable. The Quincy didn't get to follow through with her attack because a blast of red confetti blocked her way.

"I'm not going to let you get away with this, criminal!" Kamika yelled as she manipulated the papers. With skillful maneuvering, more confetti was summoned only this time they were white. There were thousands of them and they rained down on the last Quincy.

Undeterred, Yuzu held her bow up and fired a salvo of spirit arrows, matching the multitude of papers blow for blow. This left the wizard in astonishment which gave Yuzu the opening for a decisive blow. Releasing Seele Schneider, she appeared in front of the shocked assassin but noticed an incoming attack and promptly evaded. Scanning the area, the woman who could manipulate plants was still conscious and rearing to fight.

"You and that sister of yours are going to pay!" raged the plant user. Summoning more vines, she directed the green tendrils towards Yuzu. The ends sharpened as it sped to the archer.

Yuzu didn't flinch. She just stood there waiting for the attack to reach her. The youngest sibling didn't need to dodge because she had a powerful defense at her disposal. Blue lines began appearing on her skin; the tell-tale sign of Blut Vene. Swinging her arm, she swatted the vines away when they reached her.

The attacker gaped in disbelief. "Impossible!"

Meanwhile, Karin casually blocked an attack from the assassins' leader. Spinning her weapon around, she formed a water barrier just in time when the fisherman-looking wizard recovered and sent his attack. Rearing back Suishigetsu, the middle Kurosaki sent out a slash of pressurized water at the enemies. They managed to dodge the incoming jet of liquid before it violently tore the ground and created an indentation ten feet deep.

The leader of the group of assassins growled in frustration. His elite crew of trained executioners was being outmatched by these unidentified women. Scythes in hand, he charged at the Soul Reaper with the intent to carry out his orders, namely killing the intruders. He jumped high and swung his weapons onto the Karin, hoping to nullify whatever magic the black-clad swordswoman used. The reaper saw this and blocked the dreaded blades with the crescent end of her zanpakūto. This shocked the leader of the knights since he didn't sense Karin's magic getting nullified.

Seeing the confusion on Kama's face, the Soul Reaper pushed him back and when she saw the burly man that can melt gunning for her, she prepared the signature attack that her family was known for.

"Getsuga Tenshō!"

An arc of spiritual energy blasted from her glaive. It tore through whatever attempt the large man had and slammed into with such force that the explosion shook the cavern because of its intensity.

"You're as tough as you look," Karin praised the giant for withstanding her attack. Her senses instantly went haywire when she felt something closing in on her. She turned around and Uosuke touch the ground. It began shaking then turning into a river of lava in front of their very eyes. Panic set in when she looked to her guildmates and remembered they can't create reishi platforms.

"Help!"

Hearing the cry for assistance, the older twin held out two fingers and performed a Kidō spell. "Bakudō #37: Tsuriboshi!" A cushion of spiritual energy appeared below the Fairy Tail mages. It anchored itself into the walls with spiritual ropes and safely caught the falling wizards from meeting an otherwise fiery end. Wanting to make sure that none of them would be in any trouble, Karin erected a barrier to protect her guildmates. "Bakudō #73: Tozanshō!" Particles of spirit energy gathered around the mages and formed into an inverted pyramid that safely housed her friends.

Knowing that nothing can touch her friends now, Karin turned her attention back to the assassins. She had to admit they were good but enjoying a fight is the least of her priorities right now. The reaper and her Quincy twin wanted to blow some steam and they did that without any effort. It was time to stop holding back and letting this squabble drag on for too long.

Looking at her twin, Karin saw Yuzu slash an incoming vine with her Seele Schneider and shot another round of arrows at the confetti converging onto her. Kamika looked livid that her attacks were doing nothing and recklessly launched another volley of magical paper, this time doused in red fire. Again it was countered by numerous arrows and dodged a carnivorous plant from devouring her. Yuzu looked to her older sister and recognized the expression she bore. She gave her a nod.

It was time to end this.

Disappearing using Hirenkyaku, Yuzu appeared behind the Cosmos and drove her white boot into her spine. The wizard flew and skidded across the rocky floor before coming to a screeching halt. She shot two Seele Schneiders in quick succession, landing just beside the downed mage. Sensing an attack coming, the younger twin ducked and avoided a fire-coated fist made of paper. The paper mage growled and sent multiple similar constructs at her target. It did little to stop the Quincy from fulfilling her intent. Blue lines began appearing on her body and stretched out around her, forming a protective shield.

"Blut Vene Anhaben!"

The fire fists of paper proved to be pathetic in trying to penetrate the Quincy's defense. The paper wizard summoned her constructs back which was her undoing since it gave Yuzu the opening she needed. She flickered out of sight delivered a slash on the opponent mage's back using her only bladed weapon. Blood flew from the inflicted wound and it was compounded more when Yuzu kicked her, making her collide with the plant mage from earlier. The last true Quincy fired three Seele Schneiders onto specific positions beside the incapacitated assassins. Streaks of reiryoku shot from the handles of the Seele Schneiders and raced on the ground to connect the artifacts, forming a pentagram with the five-pointed cross on the inside.

The set-up was ready.

The two female assassins found themselves unable to move, no doubt caused by the strange energy that connected the unique weapons.

"What's this!? I can't move!" were the only words they could say in distress caused by their immobility.

"We told the princess that nothing will stop us from seeking retribution for taking our niece hostage," Yuzu reminded. She then took out a silver capsule and removed its lid. "I have nothing against you but since you were sent here to kill us, then I won't show any mercy as well." She tilted the capsule and from it spilled concentrated spiritual energy in liquid form. The fluid left its container and fell, touching one of the Seele Schneider's metal handles. That act ignited the energies binding the two women to flare even brighter to an almost blinding state. The Quincy turned around and began walking away, not before uttering the technique's name.

"Sprenger."

A massive explosion engulfed the two mages, their forms disappearing within the bright blue light.

As for the older sibling, Karin concluded that she needed the one who turned the ground lava taken out. Pointing her glaive forward, a stream of water shot from its tip and found its target.

The torrent was agonizing and the pressure from the water over the wizard's skin was like sandpaper. The knight on the receiving and of this attack screamed in agony as the waters continued to pound his very form, all the while slowly slipping from consciousness. Finally, his body went limp and the current subsided causing him to fall to the ground and the floors reverting to normal.

The other two mages stood stock still at the ferocity they witnessed. That small sliver of inattentiveness was all the Soul Reaper needed to end this fight. Plunging the crescent end of her glaive on the ground, two jets of water emerged from the point of contact and quickly encircled the intended targets. Confused, the knights were all the more shocked when the water encroached on their bodies, creating a prison pillar of torrential liquid that scraped their skin with such vehemence.

"As I said before," Karin began as she looked to the enemies imprisoned in her water pillar, "…you are nowhere near in the same league as us." She turned around and began moving away but not before raising her fist to her chest and doing a sweeping motion to the side. "Kaisan no Chōryū."

The waters in the pillar lifted the confined mages to the ceiling of the very cavern before slamming them down hard to the ground at break-neck speeds. A loud thud could be heard a considerable distance away from how severe the impact was. To add to that was the very water that held them captive was now pounding them with an unrelenting torrent.

The Fairy Tail mages could hear the cries of pain from the people tasked to kill them under the massive pillar of water and inside the powerful burst of light. They knew that the members of the Kurosaki family were exceptional combatants, more so the wizards part of Team Natsu, but seeing it in person with all the strange techniques unique only to them is just mind-boggling. And the way they fought showed decisiveness reminiscent of their older brother. Indeed, these siblings were people not to be trifled with.

For Arcadios, his mind was still processing what just occurred. The most ruthless squad of knights tasked to do the dirtiest deed of the kingdom was defeated rather easily by these two women. It was impossible but his eyes can't deceive him. he saw it all and only one question remained in his head…

"Who the hell are these people?"

As the explosion died down and the waters subsided, the wizards who undertook the rescue could see the beaten forms of the Hungry Wolf Knights all defeated. They quickly ran to the siblings responsible for clearing their current obstacle.

"That was amazing!" Wendy said in wide-eyed wonder.

"Hell yeah, it was!" Natsu added. "I've never that much firepower," he looked to the Soul Reaper, "…or water power in like…ever!"

"That was beyond impressive," Lily commented after witnessing the twin's prowess in combat.

"It was nothing," Yuzu smiled innocently which was the complete opposite of what she had just shown earlier. "Besides, we still have one more problem to deal with."

"Yeah," Karin agreed. "We still need to find the exit to this damn place." She looked to one of the downed mages and saw Kama gaining consciousness. An evil grin appeared on her face as an idea popped into her head. "Natsu!" she called the dragon slayer before pointing to the lead knight. "How about I give you the honor of beating that guy until he tells us the way to get the hell out of here."

Said dragon slayer looked in the direction Karin was pointing at and shared the same mischievous grin the reaper had. "It'd be my pleasure."

With a bit of rough-housing and some intimidation from the twins, Kama willingly divulged the information they wanted and promptly knocked the leader of the squadron out cold before proceeding to find the exit. It took a while, having gone down a considerable number of flights of stairs while carrying an injured Arcadios, but eventually, they made it to the exit which was a gigantic gate.

"There it is!" Lucy cried in relief. Finally, she can get out of this place.

"Come on!" Natsu yelled, urging the rest to run to the massive door.

"Wait up!" Lisanna said, not far behind the dragon slayer.

Before they could reach the way out, a figure in a hooded coat suddenly appeared in front of them. Thinking that this might be an enemy, they all stopped in their tracks and took on a fighting stance. With all the trouble they just dealt with earlier, the group isn't going to take any chances with this stranger. That said, there was something odd about this person.

For one, whoever this is, this individual was no taller than Wendy. They guessed that this person was a child. Second, there was something oddly familiar about this person. The magic this stranger gave off was reminiscent of Eclipse. Finally, two other factors were perplexing. For the dragon slayers, the smell this character gave off was confusing. They identified her to be a girl, that much was easy, and yet it was, in a way, familiar.

"Her scent," Natsu thought. "She smells just like me and Lisanna."

Karin and Yuzu, on the other hand, can feel traces of reiryoku within this kid. She had a considerable amount of it, indicating the hidden power a mere child like this could possess. And judging by the kind of spiritual energy, they looked at each other and concluded the same thing.

The girl in front of them was a Fullbringer.

The child in question could sense the uneasiness of the group. It was warranted considering they didn't know her…or at least not yet. Still, when she caught sight of two very important people standing side by side together, a flurry of emotions welled inside her. Heartache, sadness, longing, and above all…love.

Throwing caution to the wind the child ran as fast as she could, the air sweeping away the hood, revealing a young girl. She was no older than Kazui or Wendy, with salmon-pink hair, round face with bright blue sapphire eyes. Her mouth quivered from the emotions she was feeling and tears cascaded down her cheeks. Running as fast as she could, she finally reached the two people she longed to see on this journey.

Natsu and Lisanna got the surprise of their life when this little girl ran to them and enveloped them in a tight hug. They looked at each other, confusion written on their faces. That wasn't the most surprising part, however. It was what the girl said that finally floored them.

"Mama. Papa," the girl whispered into the two bewildered mages. "I missed you…so much."

"Mama? Papa?"

The rest of the wizards from Fairy Tail had wide eyes and gaping mouths. This was the last thing they expected to happen. Even Yuzu and Karin were left speechless.

Wanting to know this girl, Lisanna got down to look at her at eye level. The Take-Over mage just met this girl for the first time but she could feel a connection with her. Lisanna needed to know who she was but she needed to calm her down before asking.

Gently wiping off her tears, the youngest Strauss hushed the girl with the utmost care, making her at ease. "Shhh. Don't cry," Lisanna said. "It's okay. No one's going to hurt you." When the girl was finally comfortable, she asked the questions filling her mind. "Who are you? Why did you call me and Natsu mama and papa?"

Wiping her tears, the pink-haired girl eventually calmed down and gained some form of composure. "I knew you wouldn't know me," she uttered. "It's expected but seeing you two again is enough for me."

They saw her step back and adopt a determined gaze that was eerily similar to Natsu's. She took in one deep breath before exhaling. The girl looked back at the mages and finally revealed her identity.

"My name is Madeline Dragneel, daughter of Natsu Dragneel and Lisanna Strauss...and I come from the future."

A/N: ModernRogue11 here and finally, we find out who Madeline is and her connection to the entire plot. I said before that we still needed to introduce the last plot point to finally get Natsu and Lisanna together and this character is the one. With her present, major events from canon will diverge and create a new set of events that will greatly affect the story as it moves forward. I could guess that this bombshell could be seen a mile away but I do hope I surprised some of you with her introduction to the story.

As always, favorite and follow the story if you like it. Feel free to leave comments because I appreciate the feedback. If you find some things worth mentioning about the story, constructive criticisms are highly accepted.

Until next time.