I DON'T OWN FAIRY TAIL! MASHIMA-SENSEI DOES!

The Arrival

On the day everyone was to leave for Acnologia's island, everyone gathered at the same port that took them to Tenrou Island years ago. The ship was loaded with food and medical provisions that would eventually be needed.

"Alright, now that everyone is here, we'll be leaving for the Tenrou Island. We'll meet with Mest, Freed, Meredy, and Midnight who have already established a base to monitor Acnologia's island. As we travel, try to relax and mentally prepare yourselves. I will enchant the ship so the Dragon Slayers don't feel motion sickness," stated Zeref.

"I can just use my Dragon Dominion to ease our motion sickness," Gajeel suggested.

Laxus waved his hand. "No. Even if it seems like a drop in the well to you, I don't want any of us wasting any magic when it can be avoided."

"Alright, I understand," Gajeel nodded.

Lucy and Levy leaned against the edge of the ship, staring at the horizon.

"Did you sleep well?" Lucy asked Levy.

"I did, but I think Gajeel had something to do with that," answered Levy.

"I wonder if Natsu asked him to do the same for me. Did he sleep well?"

"Not well, but not poorly."

"Same with Natsu."

The two let out a unison sigh.

Natsu and Gajeel then came over and sat down against the wall of the ship.

"Are you two feeling well-rested?" Levy asked them.

"Yeah we'll be fine," answered Gajeel. "Look, we know you're probably worried out of your minds right now, wondering if the trip back will even happen, with or without us, but you need to relax. You two feeling positive is what gives us that extra boost."

"What he said. Let's relax and enjoy the fact that you can actually talk to us while we're on a boat," Natsu added with a smile.

The girls began to lighten up.

"So you two came up with a plan for Acnologia?" Lucy optimistically asked.

The two looked away and scratched their heads.

"Uhh yeah…yes…we think?" Gajeel hesitated.

Jellal stood on the top deck of the ship, looking out at sea. The sun was shining brightly that day, so he squinted as he looked up at the sky.

"I've never used it before, but I may have to depending on how far Erza and I will have to push ourselves," he muttered to himself.

"Jellal, what are you saying to yourself?" Laxus asked as he came to stand beside him.

"Nothing you haven't heard before. How are the others doing?" he asked.

"Some are really tense while some are handling the pressure well. Mira and Erza have been talking to Yukino about Rogue, Kagura, and Minerva. They went on and on about some sexual tension bullshit between the three, and yeah I didn't wanna stick around to hear any more, so I figured I'd see how you're doing."

Jellal laughed. "I think I would've done the same thing…so how good do you feel?"

"I'm the best shape of my life. There's no way I'll lose to anyone," Laxus replied.

"Depending on the terms of the fights, I hope we can bear most of the burden for our guilds."

"Jellal, don't push yourself too far. We have other people who have also worked hard for this. Besides, Erza wouldn't want you to push yourself too hard."

"You're right…"

Larcade and Ultear were sitting at a table, reading books they brought along for the ride.

Ultear put her book down before looking at what was in Larcade's hands. "What are you reading? I can't see the title from where I'm sitting."

Larcade turned the book to reveal its title, Politics for a Modern Era. "It's not incredibly exciting, but I know it's beneficial."

She half-smiled. "Are you considering…you know? Alvarez?"

"I am," he stated. "My time spent with Fairy Tail has been eye-opening."

"I see. The typical travel time between Alvarez's capitol and Magnolia isn't too long to visit you—"

"Would you like to come with me? As in, live in Alvarez?" he suddenly asked.

Ultear was flustered. "Me?! I don't know what to say...I've lived in Ishgar my whole life, and Fairy Tail has accepted me and Meredy. Meredy—"

"I know I'm being sudden and this isn't the best time to ask, but I really want to talk about it with you when this is all over…if you want, I mean," he nervously said.

"Agreed!" She hid her face behind the pages of her book. "If only Meredy was here right now! I need someone to talk to!"

"Is something bothering you?" Gray asked.

"No! Nothing!" She quickly replied.

Gray shrugged and sat down at the same table with Juvia taking the seat to his right next to Ultear while Larcade sat to his left.

"I wonder hard it'll be to beat one of those Dragon Soul Minions," Gray said as he leaned back in his chair.

"They'll each vary in strength and abilities, so it really depends on who fights what. Father and Acnologia will have to agree to each other's terms when deciding the format of everything," answered Larcade.

"So we really don't know how this will be organized," said Juvia.

"Correct, but I'm sure Acnologia won't prefer anything complicated…at least my assumptions lead me to believe that," Larcade explained.

Erik and Allister were sitting in a cabin with Kinana and Lisanna respectively while Wendy had fallen asleep on a couch of her own.

"She didn't sleep well last night, so let's let her sleep for now," Erik softly said he Kinana played with his hair as he laid his head on her lap.

"Oh? How do you know how well she slept?" Allister whispered as he and Lisanna were writing in notebooks.

"I checked on her after stopping by Kinana's room," he muttered.

Allister, Lisanna, and Kinana quietly laughed.

"You sound like a concerned parent or older brother," he whispered.

"Yeah yeah yeah…what are you two even writing there anyway?" Erik asked his partner.

"I got Lisanna into journaling, so she's adding to her entry for the day."

"What are you writing?" Kinana asked Allister.

"For a little while now, I've been writing a story about a man who was searching for more meaning in his life, escaping the clockwork that is working as a Magic Councilman. He makes friends, finds love, and witnesses a man and girl who are seemingly opposite in every way become friends. Though the man's magic that poisons and pollutes and the girl's magic that heals and purifies foil each other, they managed to find harmony. What do you think?" Allister asked Erik who had rolled onto his side after hearing everything.

"You should stick to journaling," he muttered.

The ship arrived at Tenrou Island after a few hours of travel. Once it was anchored and everyone began departing, they were met with Mest, Freed, Meredy, and Midnight as promised.

"I see you've set up our base accordingly. Have you run into any trouble?" Mavis asked Mest.

"No ma'am, but that island of Acnologia's is in sight if you go to the northwest side of Tenrou Island," he answered.

"Understood. Laxus?" Mavis said as she turned toward him.

Laxus was carrying his and Mira's bags before he paused to make an announcement. "Everyone, put your stuff away and grab only a few essentials you think you'll need before we head over. We'll use magic to travel the distance to his island because I don't want to have a whole ship docked in his territory. Understand?"

Everyone acknowledged his instructions.

"Meet at the northwest corner of this island in thirty minutes. We've had enough time to decompress, so don't be late. I want all of you walking over there to save magic and energy," he added.

After about ten minutes, groups began to walk over to the northwest side. As they were walking, Laxus noticed Mirajane was wearing the necklace he had gifted her for Valentine's Day.

"You're wearing that to this?" he asked.

Mira smiled and nodded. "I want to think of it as a good luck charm, especially when we're fighting together as partners."

Laxus reached out and grabbed her hand to hold. "We don't need luck. We have each other, and you're pretty damn strong the last time I checked."

She giggled. "The Wizard Saint guild master who can probably destroy this island with his arms crossed making it seem like he'll rely on me is very flattering."

"Hey if you can take care of one of these guys on your own, that just means less work for me," Laxus smirked.

After hearing the conversation between Laxus and Mirajane, Jellal couldn't help but notice Erza was also wearing her Valentine's Day gift.

"Erza, I see you're wearing the earrings I gifted you. Do you plan on using them as we fight?"

"I figured it wouldn't hurt to have another advantage such as this. Besides, they're also very fashionable," she smiled.

Sting and Yukino were the first ones to make it to the rendezvous point. As they waiting, Sting laid across the warm sand and closed his eyes.

"How are you feeling, Sting?" Yukino asked.

"I'm not sure. I guess my confidence can go either way depending on how the first fight goes," he answered. "How are Rogue, Minerva, and Kagura doing?"

"Rogue looks stressed, so I would talk to him before it's your turn. I wish we knew the structure of all of this," Yukino sighed.

"Relax, Yukino. Zeref isn't a pushover, so I doubt he'll let Acnologia decide every rule."

"I guess that's true. Do you think I'll need to fight?"

"I'm not sure. You, Minerva, and Kagura may just be insurance to the very end, but like I said, I don't know what to think until the first fight is over. If you ask me though, I think guys like Laxus and Jellal should fight on their own. It just seems like a waste of power to have them paired with Mira and Erza when all four could be fine individually."

"What about you and Rogue? Do you think it's a waste if you two are fighting together?"

Sting sat up after that comment. "I need him, Yukino. I honestly don't feel that confident right now, and he's been my fighting partner since forever. Besides, dudes like Laxus, Jellal, Natsu, and Gajeel are on a whole other level. I don't mind Natsu and Gajeel teaming up against the big bastard himself though…I'm not sure if I could handle that pressure."

"I understand," she said. "Don't forget I'll be supporting you as you fight, and I'm ready to fight if needed."

Sting smiled. "I love you, and I promise you won't need to get your hands dirty today."

Yukino returned his smile. "I love you too, Sting."

Once everyone was at the rendezvous point, Zeref used his magic to establish a direct portal to Acnologia's island.

"Can explain to me why we had to walk over here if he was just gonna set up a portal to get us there?" asked Erik.

"If I set up a portal right by our ship, we risk all of our belongings and our transport vessel getting damaged by any enemies. Do I think it's likely for Acnologia to cause petty chaos like that? No, I don't think so, but I'd rather not take any chances."

"Is the portal ready?" enquired Mavis.

"Yes, I'll go first," he replied.

After everyone had stepped through the portal, they were greeted with the sight of an island that looked as if it was only created in the past year.

"This place looks awful," said Juvia as she stood close to Gray.

"We've been here a few times in the past month to check things out, but so far it just looks like a regular island," Meredy told her friend.

"We were never able to travel to the center of the island because we were unsure of its safety. However, they never confronted us when we traveled around the island," Mest explained.

"Everyone, stay alert and walk in pairs if possible. Midnight and I will lead you all. Though we don't know exactly where to go, we assume the mountain the island's center is our best bet," explained Freed. "In case we need quick access out of here, Mest will teleport us to the shoreline."

As they all walked in groups of two or three towards the center of the island, they observed their surroundings very carefully.

"Rogue, do you sense any Dragon Soul Minions?" asked Minerva.

"Not yet, but I think they'll all be in the same place at this time," he replied.

"I'm surprised we haven't encountered anybody or anything yet," Kagura stated.

Just as Kagura finished what she was saying, a large fire appeared in front of them. Natsu snapped his fingers to put out the flames, only to reveal what appeared to be a Dragon Soul Minion. It stood about six feet tall, had black hair, and a face as generic as they come.

"Hello. My name is Blood. Please follow me to our king's dwelling," he said before gesturing the party to a path that led to a divide in the mountain.

"Hey! Dragon Soul Minion! You said your name is Blood! Were you the piece of shit that was there when my grandfather was killed?" asked Laxus.

"No, Laxus. This one uses fire while that one used lightning, though they do look exactly alike" Allister mentioned quickly.

"My name is Blood, and his name is also Blood. All of our names are Blood, but our names do not matter," the Dragon Soul Minion replied.

Allister clenched his fists. The Blood that wields lightning is the one I'm after. I need to be sure I fight him and no one else does. I can't forgive myself for being so useless months ago!

Erik placed his hand on his partner's shoulder, startling Allister.

"I have to say, it's kind of weird seeing you lusting for revenge. Keep that edge though, we'll need it," he grinned.

"What was he thinking?" Wendy asked Erik while tugging on his sleeve.

"Don't worry, kid. Everything's fine." the Poison Dragon Slayer replied.

After walking through the divide for a few minutes, they finally entered what seemed to be a stadium at the center of the mountain. At the center of it stood Acnologia and the rest of the Dragon Soul Minions.

"Welcome! Are you ready for your demise?" Acnologia cackled, filling up the entire stadium with his sadistic laugh.

Both parties met at the center, and Zeref stepped forward to represent them and negotiate the terms of the fights.

"So what are rules we will play with, Dragon King?" Zeref asked Acnologia.

"The winner decides who on the other side will be the next opponent. I'll only allow groups of three on your side. Those were the only rules I needed to tell you," he answered.

"Alright, if one of mine wants a substitution, it must be granted. However, if one wants to continue fighting, you must honor it."

"Asking for more, huh? Alright then." He then looked up at Natsu and Gajeel. "As long as those two are reserved for me, I don't mind the rules you want. If you want to adjust anything, you'll have to wait until a fight is over. Oh and fights are over when the opponent can't go on, alive or dead. The Bloods aren't allowed to deliberately kill, but I can assure you I will personally kill everyone here when this is over."

"Why are you placing such a handicap on your own minions?"

"Why would I allow them to have all of the enjoyment?" he sneered.

"You're a sick bastard, but I agree to your terms. How will we decide who fights first?" asked Zeref.

"Just pick somebody, and that person can choose whoever the hell they want to fight first," Acnologia said as he walked towards his throne that was stationed outside of the battlefield. "Spectators will not interfere and must observe at a distance. I hope that was obvious to you as you came in," he added.

"Yes, that makes sense." Zeref looked at everyone, thinking of who should fight first. "Everyone, we have no idea how strong these Dragon Soul minions are, so we'll need to pick someone brave enough to be the first to fi—"

"Allow me to go first on my own," interrupted Allister.

Everyone directed their attention towards Allister.

Zeref sighed. "Allister, if this is about Master Makarov—"

"Please, sir. Allow me to do this. I'm confident in my abilities now, and if you're wondering if this is about Master Makarov, it is," he admitted.

"Hurry up and choose!" Acnologia yelled from his throne.

Zeref gestured him to calm down. "Allister, I'll allow it, but please don't be reckless. Revenge will blind anybody from what's important. Don't forget that."

Allister nodded. Everyone then stepped aside to take their seats at the side of the stadium opposite from Acnologia's. Zeref and Mavis had two thrones waiting for them.

"I'm surprised he was thoughtful enough to have two thrones available for us," Mavis commented as she sat down.

"Choose your opponent, boy!" Acnologia said in an intimidating tone.

Allister cleared his throat and declared the opponent he wished to challenge. "Lightning! The Blood of lightning! Show yourself and fight me!"

Zeref leaned towards Mavis. "That is the only element we're completely aware of. We'll need to guess from here on."

"Indeed. I count seven Bloods from where we're seated, including the one Allister is about to fight on his own. I do hope we have enough people to fight."

"Let's begin!" Acnologia announced from his throne.

Allister drew his sword and looked at his opponent, boiling with hatred and shame because of the events that occurred months prior.

"You look so silly when you're angry!" laughed Blood.

"Silly? I look silly to you? I can assure you I'm quite serious right now!" Allister yelled before he charged with his sword. The speed he had used made him look like a blur before he impaled Blood's stomach with his sword. He then expanded his silver to destroy him from the inside.

"A direct hit!" Lisanna, Kinana, and Wendy cheered in unison.

"That was easier than we thought!" Kinana rejoiced.

Erik shook his head. "No, it's never that easy, sweetheart."

The three stopped their cheering after hearing that comment.

"What do you mean?" asked Lisanna.

Suddenly, lightning struck Allister while his sword was still impaling Blood. He then felt the same sharp pain he had felt when Blood struck him with his lightning months ago.

"Hahahaha! You actually thought it would be that simple?!" Blood laughed maniacally.

Allister fell to the ground. "I don't understand. I landed a direct blow and damaged you more from the inside.

Blood shook his head as he stood before him. "That's your problem, Dragon Slayer. I'm not a real human. I and the other Bloods are an extension of my master, so to defeat us, you'll have to strike me with your magic in an area that defines me."

He gasped. "A particular area?! But where?"

Blood wagged his finger. "Not telling!" he laughed.

Zeref groaned. "I see. This is the difficulty of defeating these pests."

"Until we understand how they work, we won't know where to strike," Mavis said grimly.

"And the more time we waste guessing where to strike, the more energy we waste trying," added Laxus.

"Allister needs to hang in there and figure this Blood out without taking too much damage. We have others here to fight, but we can't waste multiple fighters on a single Blood," stated Gajeel.

"You can do it, man!" Natsu yelled from the sidelines.

Allister got up and backed away from Blood. Though he had sustained damage, it wasn't bad enough to hinder him for the rest of the fight. "I suppose this is the price to pay for going first. Oh well, it needed to be done…to honor Master Makarov and Lord August!" He held his sword out and changed the shape of his blade, making it lighter and narrower but still very sharp and strong. "I will solve your weakness, Blood, and I will defeat you swiftly with my silver!"

There were seven Bloods remaining.

Sorry it took so long to post this one. My old laptop failed me, so I lost a lot of important documents for school, including some research files. However, that doesn't really explain my extended hiatus because I did get a new one (I love it!) shortly after. I was actually working on my application for the Chemistry PhD program at my university, and after typing up my proposal, getting letters of recommendation, and being interviewed by a panel, I'm happy to share that I've been admitted into the program! I'll start after I graduate from my bachelor's next year!

I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I hope to get the next one posted during my Spring Break. Until next time!