And just like that, the fairies made their way to Crocus - the city where the Domus Flau Coliseum stood for the Grand Magic Games. After arriving at the grand city, Makarov informed Team Natsu that they would be the team representing Fairy Tail and that the other guild members would meet them at their rented lodge during their stay. Upon hearing that, Erza decided to go with Makarov to the lodge while everyone else was free to explore. So long as they returned before midnight as stayed in the rule book.
Nashi and Happy immediately made a run for food while Natsu complained about still being in pain, making Lucy laugh. After finding out that they had been in the Celestial Spirit World for three months, despite becoming exceptionally stronger in such a short amount of time, Team Natsu, Levy and Juvia went into shock for losing such precious time. They had wanted to blame Lucy desperately for tricking them and reducing to their time to only five days of training, but they weren't even given the chance to.
Jet and Droy gave Lucy a note that Nashi found a few days before they returned and when Lucy read it, she smiled at her guildmates and said that they should complete the final part of their brutal training before they throw curses at her. Not understanding her words, everyone just followed her to the place written on the note and Team Natsu, Levy and Juvia were surprised to meet face to face with Jellal, Ultear and Meredy - the last two being members of Grimoire Heart before Acnologia attacked.
Lucy, Jet, Droy and Nashi greeted them nonchalantly and introduced the trio as the independent guild, Crime Sorcière. When Erza asked how they were so friendly with one another, Jellal explained that he broke out of jail after regaining his memories six years prior and then recruited Ultear and Meredy to become a group that destroys dark guilds that worship or follow Zeref so that no one follows the same path as they did. It was a year after they established their group that they bumped into Lucy.
Lucy then explained that she supported Jellal's idea and told them that she created a sort of alliance with both their guilds. After settling that confusion, the blonde added that the trio was the one who had given Nashi the note and that Ultear would be able to boost their magic power by opening their Second Origin, a separate container of unused magic in a mage's body. Lucy warned them it would be painful, but they all agreed anyway - save for Erza who probably already had hers. And the effects were still there even after five days.
"You're not really laughing at my pain, are you?" Natsu asked in a sulking manner.
"How could I not?" Lucy asked in between her laughs. "You guys were so desperate since I basically tricked you, but I already asked a favour of them after learning we would be training for the Grand Magic Games."
"So even if we didn't go to the Celestial Spirit World, you would've gotten us to go through that pain?"
Lucy nodded as they followed Nashi and Happy into a restaurant. "It was worth it, wasn't it? You were able to accomplish my brutal training, got to do your exercises and gain a ton of magic power! It was definitely worth the risk of you all cursing me."
"Cursing... is such a strong word, Luce." Natsu replied as they took a seat.
"Deny it all you want, I know you all wanted to curse me for tricking you and leaving only five days left for you to train."
Natsu laughed sheepishly as Nashi brought his attention to the delicious food on the menu, both dragon slayers practically ordering two of everything that was on the menu. Meanwhile, Lucy just settled for a full rack of ribs and Happy only ordered the largest raw fish that they had in stock. No cuts. No portions. Not the slightest bit cooked. A little bit of seasoning was okay since he liked flavour, but he just wanted one whole fish to himself.
It had already become dark out by the time Natsu, Lucy, Happy and Nashi decided to check the time. They still had a few hours to spare before midnight so they decided to keep sightseeing until it was eleven o'clock. During the time after they ate lunch, the four had been visiting plazas, parks, souvenir shops and even got flower crowns for themselves since Crocus was known as the flower blooming capital. But when Natsu heard a fight going on, he immediately ran towards it in excitement with Happy flying beside him.
Of course, Lucy and Nashi expected this from the battle hungry dragon slayer so they just sighed in amusement about how Natsu would never change. As the blonde followed the two males while carrying Nashi, she realized something felt off. Looking towards her daughter, Nashi had the same look of uncertainty and looked to her mother. The two scents they were smelling the closer they got... both bore a very similar, if not practically identical, scents to that of Weisslogia and Skiadrum.
"Mama... you don't think Master Weiss and Master Skiadrum came here, do you?" Nashi asked in a worrisome tone, knowing that the white and shadow dragon wouldn't dare leave the Dragon Realm without telling their empress.
Lucy just shook her head as her eyes narrowed. "No... these scents are similar but it's not theirs." She reassured, patting Nashi's head. "But I have a feeling that it won't be Natsu who'll get angry..."
When Natsu crawled his way through the crowd, he was faced with two males who were about the same age as him. The first had slicked back blonde hair and blue eyes filled with the desire to hurt anyone and everyone, his body language taunting anyone who would dare challenge him. The second seemed more calm and mature, his midnight hair was parted to cover his right eye while the left one shone through the dark with a piercing red colour, intimidating those around him.
When Lucy took a closer look at the two, she could see a familiar guild mark on the blonde's left shoulder and on the left side of the cloak on the other. After hearing someone from the crowd say that their names were Sting and Rogue and called them 'Twin Dragons', Lucy and Nashi recognized them as the famous duo of Sabertooth, one of the five members that helped the guild rise to fame. The title 'Twin Dragons' clicking in their heads as they connected the dots... both of them were dragon slayers.
Lucy and Nashi watched from behind the crowd as Sting insulted Natsu and for some reason, she could feel her blood boil in rage at his cocky tone. When he brought up Acnologia, Lucy's eyes bore hostility and she gnashed her teeth as her fangs peeked from the corners of her mouth. Nashi looked at her mother in worry, the peach haired girl knew that Lucy held her responsibilities as the dragons' empress close to heart and to hear about Acnologia caused great embarrassment to her and the dragons.
"Because unlike you, we could have easily slain Acnologia." Sting had said.
After hearing Lector explain about the different generations of dragon slayers and how 'superior' they are to everyone around them, Lucy's stare grew cold. They were raised by dragons. Lucy knew there was a familiar yet off feeling coming from the crowd and now that she focused on the two sabers closely, she was with absolute certainty. Sting and Rogue's dragons were also within their bodies, creating the same defenses as Igneel and the others to prevent dragonification. And it was no mystery who their dragons were.
"The creatures that passed down their dragon slayer magic techniques to us..." Rogue began to say with a darkened stare. "We eliminated them... with our own hands so we could earn the title of True Dragon Slayers."
Lucy's anger peaked at their words and she slowly brought Nashi down so she could stand on her own. When the crowd in front of her felt Lucy's growing aura, they immediately became frightened when they recognized who she was. "When I get my hands on those two old geezers, they are so DEAD!"
"Dear god, move! Don't you know who that is!?" People in the crowd said in frightened hushed voices. "It's Lucy Heartfilia! The unmerciful protector, Fairy Tail's own Athena!"
When the three dragon slayers and three exceeds heard the crowds words, they turned to where Lucy stood and Natsu inwardly shivered in fear at how angry his partner seemed. Her aura wasn't surrounding her body and she didn't showcase her golden flames, but her glare was enough to send a chill down his spine. Nashi immediately followed her mother's steps and narrowed her eyes as she couldn't stand listening to Lector and Frosch's insults towards her father's exceed any longer.
"Nashi...?" Happy asked in a soft voice, the peach haired girl's eyes mirroring the time when she had scared Twilight Ogre away.
Sting and Rogue held their ground to not seem intimidated by Lucy, but something about her stare and her cheshire cat grin put them off. Not only that, there was a part of her that they felt was familiar. This was the first they've ever met the so-called Athena of Fairy Tail, but something about her reminded them of their dragon parents. But they shook away those thoughts as she placed herself in front of Natsu, standing as if she was the one daring them to fight with her.
"Luce... what-"
"You say you eliminated your dragon parents?" She asked, her voice low and tone threatening as she scoffed. Both sabers, for some reason, being reminded of the princess of their own guild. "Don't make me laugh. You haven't killed anyone."
Sting's eyes narrowed, offended that she talked as if she was there when it happened. "Believe what you want, blondie." He retorted. "Just because people say you're strong, doesn't mean I'm afraid of you."
"Oh, but you are afraid... aren't you?" Lucy retaliated, taking the blonde and midnight haired boys aback. "Don't go claiming something that isn't true. A dragon being killed because of a mere child? That sounds like a delusion wished to be made real."
The two sabers and their respective exceeds' pride was struck by Lucy's words and the the crowd had to admit, regardless how strong Sting and Rogue were, Lucy's claim wasn't far from logic. Even if the dragon was old and worn, a child would surely be crushed easily and an attack from said child wouldn't be as strong when they are so young either. It would take a massive amount of energy for a child to gather enough magic power to slay a dragon and even then, there would likely be severe repercussions.
"You... You don't know anything lady!" Lector shouted. "Sting and Rogue are super strong! You're nothing like them!"
Nashi's body was then surrounded by flames when the brown exceed said those words. Her eyes were dark and her small body held high authority that even Natsu and Happy, who already witnessed this side of the child, were surprised. "You seem to not have any manners if you're disrespecting my mother like that... perhaps I shall teach you?"
Lector and Frosch began to shake at the overwhelming heat of Nashi's flames, making Sting and Rogue worried for them. "What is your problem!?" Rogue demanded, not wanting Frosch to get hurt. "Tell the kid to cool it!"
Lucy's eyes constricted and the two sabers could have sworn Lucy's pupils became sharp like a snake. "Why should I?" Lucy taunted her glowing gold. "Like your cat said, I'm nothing like you... because I'm the one that's superior over you."
The blonde's aura grew and everyone present but Natsu, Happy and Nashi shook at her intimidating presence. Sting and Rogue's eyes widened slightly as her eyes pierced through their bodies like swords and her words overtook their grasp on reality. It was a feeling they could never forget, her eyes and fangs were proof of that. "This girl!" They thought. "She's like a dragon!"
When the blonde empress felt them shake, she could sense Weisslogia's and Skiadrum's souls within Sting and Rogue's bodies protest to her behaviour and she could only laugh in amusement. She decided to 'question' them after returning to the their lodge, meanwhile, Natsu and Happy were shocked by Lucy's behaviour. She resembled that of a scheming villain but at the same time, they also knew exactly why she acted like that. Because they dared to look down on the Dragon Empress.
The aura died down and everyone released the breath they had been holding. Everyone knew that Lucy Heartfilia was a force to be reckoned with, rumours going so far that the magic council were considering to grant her the title of a wizard saint (of which rank no one knew), but at that moment she had used nothing more than her presence and words to make everyone feel the authority and power she held. Once Lucy could sense the white and shadow dragons' souls calm, she chuckled.
"Go on then. Keep telling people you slayed your dragon parents and that you're True Dragon Slayers." She said in a mocking tone. She pulled Natsu to his feet and picked Nashi up while Happy climbed to ride on Natsu's shoulders. "But when we prove you wrong... you will fall to your knees and will realize just who is the superior dragon."