Rising Goddess

GMG (First Day)

We arrived in Croscus by train before the rest of the guild who would be cheering for us. Rufus filled the paperwork for us and received the location of the hotel we would be staying at. It was called Cherry Blossoms Inn. Orga said it was the stupidest name he'd ever heard.

"I like it," Kiyoko said defensively.

"Oh, yeah? It's the stupidest thing I've ever heard, but not as stupid as you," Orga shot back. Sting snickered as they launched into an argument.

"Please refrain from arguing," Rufus said formally in an elegant manner.

The two continued to bicker.

"SHUT UP!" I roared harshly, getting them to quiet down. They went silent. I glared.

"All right! So, even if it's Fairy Tail, I'm gonna kick all their asses. You guys in?" I asked, grinning brightly.

"HELL YEAH!"

This response absolutely thrilled me.

Rufus looked through the rulebook, remembering the rules. "So, apparently, we have to be back at the hotel at midnight again. I don't really want it to be the sky labyrinth again. That would be boring." Rufus said, sighing.

I agreed. "It is different every year, no?" I asked in confirmation. Rufus nodded.

We arrived at our hotel building, lugging our suitcases with us. Checking in, all of found out that we had six different suites that all led to our common room. There was a kitchen and a comfortable living room in the common room.

"I choose the one furthest from Kiyoko and Orga," I announced, walking down one hallway to my room and pulling my stuff in.

I carefully organized my clothing and dyed my hair black. I didn't want to lose my wig and allow everyone to find out I was blonde. My mask was carefully held in place.

I walked out and grabbed a tub of ice cream, eating while watching previous re-plays of the Grand Magic Games from years before.

"Hey, blondie, why are you on the couch like a lazy butt?" Sting asked, flopping onto the couch. I grinned.

"Well, you just joined the laziness club," I replied. He grunted, shoving fistfuls of popcorn into his mouth.

"I'm going to go exploring! Wanna come, Rufus?" Kiyoko asked, giving the blonde a pleading look. The red bard nodded. "This will be in my memory. You owe me." He said.

Orga sighed. "I'm going to that new bakery in Croscus. See you guys later," he said. Soon, he left, too.

Rogue cleared his throat. "You guys want to fight in the square again? I'm really bored." He said.
I sighed. "Yeah, whatever. Might as well warm up before the games. I'll ask Marianna if she has enough magic energy for healing. Don't hurt anyone too badly, and don't get too arrogant, got it? I'll stay on the sidelines unless someone decides to challenge me." I said.

The two of them agreed. We stepped out of the hotel, attracting a lot of attention. After all, we were the dragon slaying trio. Already, people were crowding around us, asking to fight. Sting and Rogue agreed, but I sat on a bench lazily, cleaning my keys with care.

I watched as they defeated man after man after man. Summoning Marianna, I asked her to heal all of them. I had to boost her magic energy because she got tired.

"Thank you so much, Marianna. I'm sorry to have bothered you this much." I said, smiling. Marianna hugged me.

"Of course, great mistress!" I waved as the spirit disappeared.

I sat back and sighed, watching Sting and Rogue ask for any more challengers.

A man with spiky black hair and a mask stepped forwards, a grin on his face. "I challenge both of you!" He yelled.

Rogue and Sting took position and waited for the man to attack. He quickly casted vernier on himself and shot into the air, attacking Rogue and Sting. I nodded in interest, smiling. So, he was a sky dragon slayer like Wendy. The two fought together, working hard to defeat the man. The crowd increased, watching.

The twin draon slayers fought, but the man was too fast. He seemed to guess all of their moves.

They collapsed on their knees, breathing heavily. The man only had a few scars and bruises from the battle. I smiled. He seemed like a challenge that I was willing to take up.

"Stop," I said as Rogue and Sting started to stand.

I had already studied the man's movements. He was precise and quick, never relying on one arm or leg too much. But once you obtain a fighting style, you never lose it. He fought like Natsu.

The man turned to look at me. I smirked, pulling my whip out. It crackled with energy and my own excitement. "I will fight you. Sting, Rogue, hold back and rest," I said.

I took in a deep breath of air, closing my eyes. Drawing energy from the very stars above the earth, I focused on filling my all of my magic power and second origin. My celestial powers increased as I felt the very aura of pulsing stars surround me.

As my power shone, I felt people collapse around me from the overwhelming amount of magic energy. Sting and Rogue shot me a look.

"Lily, don't! You'll kill someone!" Sting shouted. I smiled.

"It's all right. I'm keeping my power in check," I said. "JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE," I thought. The man with black hair swayed slightly as he watched me. He, too, was increasing his magic power by breathing in air.

I felt the pressure of his magic energy override mine. I glared, letting energy seep into me.

"Heavenly starlight aura! Open, gate of the bull. Taurus!" I yelled. The perverted bull appeared, fawning over me.

"Please fight him," I said. Taurus kept him occupied as I took another deep breath, drawing energy. "Open! Gate of the twins. Gemini!"

Gemini appeared in my form. "We will fight him. Activate Heavenly starlight aura," I commanded Gemini. She nodded.

"Commence first attack: Dragon slayer's secret art. Celestial fusion," I told Gemini. She nodded and prepared for the attack while I closed the gate of Taurus.

"DRAGON SLAYER'S SECRET ART! CELESTIAL FUSION!" Gemini yelled. The blast caught his leg, and I sighed.

"Roar of the air dragon!" He yelled, attacking Gemini. She moved out of the way just in time. While he attacked Gemini, I wrapped my whip around him and threw him across the square. Then, before he could get up, I pressed my katana blade to his throat. He waved his hands in surrender.

"That was a great battle. Now, we will be leaving. Thank you for the challenge, by the way. I am Lily Ashley. Are you participating in the games?" I asked, helping him up.

The man hesitated. "Yes, I am, Lucy," he replied. I froze, staring at him in shock.

"What did you call me?" I asked in astonishment.

He bit back a curse. "I called you Lily. Now, I have to go. Bye." He disappeared in a flash of lightning.

My jaw dropped. He had called me Lucy! I was so sure of it! Sting stood next to me. "He called you Lucy," Sting murmured. A chill ran down my spine. That man had known who I was. There was a cold feeling in the pit of my stomach as thought about this.

Could it be him?

The clock struck twelve, and luckily everyone was back in the commons room. The lacrima TV flared to life and there appeared the pumpkin man.

"Hello, guilds! Kabo...the elimination round this year will be a team effort! Everyone, please step to the main common room window and step out onto the path." He said.

The Sabertooth members besides Kiyoko went to the window and climbed out. My eyes popped when I saw the sight before us. At the end of the path was a giant, mechanical tiger. It was large and silver, with ruby red eyes. "Wow," I said. We entered the contraption and saw a rulebook for the elimination round.

I read it aloud. "'Your goal is to get to the Grand Magic Games arena before anyone else. You may fight others, and you can use any magic. This particular machine has two forms: tiger and human. You can switch consistently between both. Each member will control a part of the machine. Good luck!'"

Rufus nodded. "It is in my memory," he said.

"I say we stick with the tiger. It'll be faster to get to the arena, and the claws are pretty sharp." Orga said. I nodded.

"Good idea. I'll take control of the right hind leg. We've got to be in perfect sync with each other!" I said.

All of us claimed a part to use. Sting had the left hind leg, Rogue the front right one, Orga the front left one, and Rufus with the jaws and head. I enchanted the machine with an easy, agility and speed spell using molding magic to make it lighter and stronger. "Kabo! Now, the battle will begin. In five, four, three, two, one! BEGIN!"

The machine lurched forwards and I tapped the controller, keeping up with the others. At first, our timing was completely wrong. Then, we started to pace the running of the machine.

"Incoming!" Rufus shouted. I looked up at the lacrima vision screen in front of me and saw a human machine form closing in on the right side at incredible speed.

"Rogue! Turn to the right and hit him on the count of three. Everyone, turn right!" I yelled.

"ONE!"

"TWO!"

"THREE!"

I heard the sickening sound of crunching metal. I opened my eyes, gaping at the lacrima screen. We had defeated it! It lay on it's side, sparking with broken wires and electricity.

We cheered. "Woo-hoo!"

Then we rushed towards the arena. Three more machines tried to attack us, but we managed to dodge since we were more coordinated now.

Leaping over the walls, we arrived. "Great job, guys! We're here first!" I said, scanning the arena. The pumpkin head appeared when we got out of the machine. "Congrats! You are first to come. Impressive, as usual, Sabertooth," he said.

I whooped. "Great job, guys!" Then we saw a second machine which was in the form of a large red lizard. Five people walked out of the machine, heads high. I tilted my head. This was a guild I did not know of.

All of them had guild insignias of a large beast with wings that were spread out like it was about to take off. All of them wore different colored masks. "Congrats, Dragon Wing! You are in second." I saw the black-haired man from before among the new participating guild.

"Hey!" I yelled, stalking forwards. "Tell me, why did you call me Lucy?"

The man tensed. "It was my mistake. You reminded me of someon I once knew." He said in a carefully controlled voice.

I nodded, conflicted inside. I would have to confront him later.
"Yeah? Well, my name is Lily, the celestial goddess of the dragon slaying trio. So don't call me Lucy." I said. He nodded quickly.

Soon, Fairy Tail B arrived in third place. I laughed. They were having two teams again. That was great. There were, of course, as chaotic and hyped up as they ever were.

Then, Blue Pegasus and Lamia Scale arrived in fourth and fifth. Mermaid Heel appeared moments later. Last but not least, Quatro Cerberus and Fairy Tail A came.

"Oi! We're in last again!" I heard Gray shout. The mysterious black-haired man from Dragon Wing twitched. My brow furrowed. He...

"What's your name, man?" I asked him. He looked at me in surprise, and so did his guild mates.

"I'm Lance Fireball," he replied. This made me become even more suspicious. I saw him die, though. Natsu died. So, who was this imposter?

"Nice to meet you. What magic do you use?" I asked.

"Er, I'm an air dragon slayer," he replied. I nodded, smirking. "That totally contradicts your name, doesn't it?" I asked.

He paused. "Yeah, I guess so," he agreed.

"All right-kabo! Everyone has arrived, so we'll see you at the Daimatou Enbu later this morning! Good night, Crocus!" The pumpkin man yelled.

Sabertooth was transported back to the hotel, where we saw our guild members waiting downstairs on the main floor. "So? How was it, Lily-chan?" Minerva asked, smiling kindly.

"Very good. We won first place in the fight," I said.

The guild cheered and congratulated us, grinning widely with pride. Lola and Happy high-fived me. Master Iris smiled. "Very good! I can tell you have tried your very best." She praised.

"What's next?" Kiyoko asked.

"I think you should all rest up for the competition later. You'll need the energy since it will be a long day." Iris said, smiling. We obeyed her and went upstairs. I grabbed a quick nap and showered before falling backwards into bed.

***line break***

"Everybody up!" Screeched Kiyoko. I rolled my eyes sleepily, scanning my room for intruders. No one.

Lola and Happy were still asleep. I left a note for them to tell them to catch me later at the games.

I sighed, crawling to my suit case to grab my special outfit for these games. It was purple and silver, almost exactly like the one I had worn in my first Grand Magic Games. However, the boots were thigh-high, the top was less revealing, I wore my original silver and purple cloak, and Sabertooth's insignia was on it instead of Fairy Tail's.

I dressed quickly, fixing my dyed black hair into a long and high pony tail wrapped in silver cloth. Stepping out of my room, I attached my belt with my keys and whip.

The others were dressed in different attire, too. Sting wore his usual outfit, but it was only blue and gold with the Sabertooth symbol enlarged. Rogue also wore his normal dark robes, but these were decorated with intricate dragons and tigers on his clothing inside of the cloak. Rufus was dressed in an elegant red and white cloak and tan pants. A different mask and hat with Sabertooth's sign was on it. Orga was bare-chested as usual, the sign on his pants. Kiyoko was dressed in a red and white dress paired with simple sandals. She wore a cloak around her uniform, too.

Master Iris arrived in the common room, a smile gracing her features. "My dear contestants, now is not the time to fret over future victories or losses," she began, looking at each and every one of us carefully. "Now is the time to do your best in the arena and think of Sabertooth!" She cried. Cheers ran across the room.

She traced the gold symbol of Sabertooth in the air, allowing it to shimmer and hover in front of us.

"I will now go through Sabertooth's tradition before the games," the master said solemmly. The other members looked calm, but I was confused. Tradition before the games? Sting mouthed, "Just answer Master's question as best as you can. No lies, just truth."

"I will go through each of you, depending on when you first joined the guild," she announced. Clearing her throat, she stopped in front of Rufus.

"Rufus Lore, Memory Make mage. Inducted ten years ago under Master Jiemma. Contestant in the games for a consecutive nine years. Rufus Lore of Sabertooth, what is your promise?"

Rufus placed a hand over his heart, saying decisively, "I will win for Sabertooth to the best of my ability, keeping the memory of our pride."

My brow furrowed. What would I say? What would I do?

Master nodded before moving to Orga. "Orga Nanagear, the Lightning God Slayer. Inducted ten years ago under Master Jiemma. Contestant in the games for a consecutive eight years. Orga Nanagear of Sabertooth, what is your promise?"

Orga repeated Rufus's move and said, "I will use my lightning magic and try to defeat all who dishonor and break Sabertooth's guild members."

Iris turned to Rogue. "Rogue Cheney, Shadow Dragon Slayer. Inducted eight years ago under Master Jiemma. Conestant in the games for a consecutive eight years. Rogue Cheney, what is your promise?"

Rogue created a shadowy projection of Sabertooth, and a flash of images appeared of the guild. "I, Rogue Cheney, will try my best for my friends, Sabertooth."

Master turned to Sting. "Sting Eucliffe, Light Dragon Slayer. Inducted eight years ago under Master Jiemma. Contestant in the games for a consecutive eight years. Sting Eucliffe, what is your promise?"

Sting dropped to one knee, staring at the floor. "I promise to try to protect all of my guild members in the games."

Master nodded and turned to Kiyoko. "Kiyoko Mashima, Mage of the Element Four, most prominently in fire. Inducted last year under Master Iris. Contestant in the games for zero years. Kiyoko Mashima, what is your promise?"

Kiyoko burst into flames, a hand on her heart. "I will avenge a fallen guild member if I, the reserve member, am needed!" She cried with enthusiasm.

Master winked at her before finally turning to me, the newbie. I gulped.

"Lily Ashley, also Lucy Heartfilia, Celestial Mage and Celestial Dragon Slayer. Inducted this year under Master Iris. Contestant in the games for zero years. Lucy Heartfilia, what is your promise?"

I bowed low before the master. "As my home and family, I will protect Sabertooth's members...with my very best effort."

Master Iris nodded. "I will hold you to your promises. If you keep them, you may compete in the games next year. If you don't, you must think about what this guild means to you. Good luck, children!"

We cheered. Time for victory!

The arena was loud as ever. It seemed like everyone was excited for these games.

The announcer started introducing the other guilds in the places after us. Then, finally:

"IN FIRST PLACE, SABERTOOTH!"

The crowd cheered loudest as we walked out, grinning. "First, you know her, you love her! The newest member of Sabertooth's Dragon Slayer trio! LUCY ASHLEY, THE CELESTIAL GODDESS!" I blew kisses at the crowd who chanted my name, letting light flash around me.

I took my place in my designated spot where the teams were.

"Second, we have the dark and mysterious shadow dragon slayer of Sabertooth's Dragon Slayer trio. Give it up for Rogue Cheney!" Rogue stepped out and ignored the crowd. He just walked towards me.

"Third, he's enchanted all of the ladies in Fiore with his brilliance. Sting Eucliffe, Light Dragon Slayer of the Dragon Slayer trio!" At this, the girls in the stands went crazy. Sting walked out casually, a smirk playing across his face. He lifted one hand, as if finally acknowledging the crowd. The girls swooned at this, fainting. I rolled my eyes, punching him lightly as he stood on my other side.

"Fourth, the red bard who sings to the moon! He will memorize any and all. Rufus Lore, Sabertooth's Memory Make mage!" Rufus simply tipped his hat and walked forwards, smiling softly.

"And finally, Orga Nanagear who will destroy all with his incredible lightning god slayer magic! And there we have it, Sabertooth's team!" The cheers of the crowd vibrated through the entire stadium.

We headed back to the private lifted stands for Sabertooth, overseeing the entire arena.

"The first part of the day is a challenge, and the second part is the battle portion. It is called 'The Riddle Maker'. Please send your contestants in." The announcer said.

Rufus volunteered since he was good with riddles. He entered the arena, a smile on his face. "Go Rufus!" Sabertooth cheered.

"From Sabertooth, Rufus Lore! From Fairy Tail A, Gray Fullbuster! From Fairy Tail B, Juvia Lockser! From Lamia Scale, Lyon Vastia! From Mermaid Heel, Beth Vanderwood! From Blue Pegsus, Eve Tearm! From Quatro Cerberus, Jager! From Dragon Wing, Selene Rider! This is the challenge portion, The Riddle Maker!"

The contestants walked to the center of the arena, waiting for instructions. Suddenly, a giant maze appeared out of no where. The mages were told to go to an entrance all across the outside of the maze. Rufus took his place, examining it. "The rules are simple! Get to the center before anyone else. Magic is allowed. If you come across a sphinx, you must answer their riddle. If you come across another contestant, you must battle them. First place gets fourteen points. Ready...go!"

Rufus ran into the maze, memorizing everything. I watched him speed ahead before he came across a sphinx. He answered quickly, running ahead. Then, he came across another participant. Jager. He quickly used his magic to defeat Jager, who was knocked unconcious.

I scanned the rest of the maze. Everyone was doing remarkably well. Gray sped ahead after defeating Beth Vanderwood. Juvia answered her riddle correctly and fought the girl from Dragon Wing.

The fight was intense, and I rooted for Juvia. She was obviously outmatched. Juvia used her water magic, dodging the girl's attacks, but appeared that this "Selene Rider" possessed Water Magic, too. Juvia was thrown into the wall of the maze, and Selene went on. I hissed in dispair, staring at my former guildmate.

Eve Tearm from Blue Pegasus fought Lyon Vastia from Lamia Scale after going to a dead end. I smiled in approval, studying their tactics. Both had improved, and they were an even match. I watched as they fought for twenty minutes, but their efforts were futile. Selene Rider appeared and knocked both of them out. I glared. This girl...she was something.

That left Rufus, Gray, and Selene. Gray came across another sphinx. He was stuck, and he was ripping his hair out in frustration. When he asked for a hint, the sphinx denied him of one. Finally, Gray gained some brains and figure it out, but the other two were in the lead.

I watched Rufus and Selene race to the finish. As Rufus was about to pull memory make and knock Selene out, she created a tidal wave. Rufus was almost caught, but he managed to dodge. This was all the time the mage needed to get to the finish. Angry, Rufus managed to get into second. Later, the other mages finished after gaining conciousness.

"Dragon Wing receives fourteen points! Sabertooth receives twelve. Fairy Tail A receives ten points. Blue Pegasus and Lamia Scale receive eight points each. Fairy Tail B receives six points. Mermaid Heel receives four points. Quatro Cerberus receives two points." the announcer said.

Rufus was fuming when he appeared again. He looked really mad. We cheered for him, smiling. "Good job, Rufus!" I said, grinning. He looked away.

"She beat me...the new guild beat me."

Sighing, we watched him walk to the corner. "And now, the battle portion! The first match of the day is...oh, this is an excellent one! Who will win? Mermaid Heel's Yukino Aguria or Sabertooth's Lily Ashley?"

I jolted up when I heard my name. "Good luck, Lily!" My team mates said. Ignoring them,I gasped, seeing the familiar light blue-haired girl with warm brown eyes. She wore simple blue robes, her eyes blinking. Swiftly, at leaped over the side and landed softly on the arena's pavement.

"Yukino," I said. She looked up at me in confusion as I stalked towards the middle of the arena.

"You have thirty minutes! Begin-kabo!" The pumpkin man moved back nervously.

I tilted my head, waiting for Yukino. "Hello, Yukino. I am Lily. Pleased to meet you. Would you like to make a bet?" I asked.

Yukino smiled in embarrassment. "Well, you must know where bets got me before. But, I will accept. If I win, you must take off your mask." She proclaimed. I shrugged. That meant I had to win this.

"Fair enough. If I win, then you will have to date Rogue." I said, grinning widely. I turned back to the shadow dragon slayer, winking. His eyes were wide and he looked like a fish. Yukino gasped and blushed profusely.

I laughed, pulling out my whip. "Now, now, Yukino. I want to see Rogue date someone, so I shall defeat you." I said confidently. Yukino shrunk back, taking a deep breath. She summoned Pisces and Libra.

I sighed, deciding to use my keys. "Open! Taurus, Capricorn, Virgo!" I yelled. The crowd gasped. I smiled at Yukino's shocked expression.

"Taurus, handle Pisces. Capricorn, act as support. Virgo, handle Libra." I commanded. They bowed. "Yes, mistress." Well, Taurus just said his usual catch phrase—"Nice body!"

I sat gently on the ground, meditating. Magic energy swirled around me, growing stronger and stronger. If Yukino summoned the legendary thirteenth spirit, I would defeat him myself. I couldn't risk hurting any of my spirits.

Libra disappeared, and I praised Virgo, closing her gate. My magic power was more powerful, but second origin was not in use.

Pisces remained, almost defeated. "Capricorn, Taurus, gate close," I decided. Pisces was dodging most of their attacks. I closed my eyes, seeing Pisces trying to attack me. Using teleportation magic, I dodged and appeared behind him. Again, people let out surprised gasps.

"Molding magic: Levitate!" I shouted, moving the air particles. Pisces was incredibly large. I lashed out my whip, stopping the spirit from moving. At this point, Yukino summoned her most powerful spirit.

I forced Pisces crashing down. Yukino gaped, watching Pisces go back to the spirit world. Darkness enveloped the arena as Ophiuchus arrived. I hummed. "Heavenly Starlight Aura."

The golden aura around me increased and disappeared. I felt stronger and quicker than before. My eyes flashed as I saw Ophiuchus coming in. "ROAR OF THE CELESTIAL DRAGON!" I screamed. The spirit was launched into the opposite wall, and he lay unconcious. Yukino blinked.

"Ophiuchus..." she whispered, falling next to her spirit. "Gate close."

I teleported next to her. "Surrender," I said. The girl stared at me with wide eyes before drawing a spear. "No. I will avenge my spirits." She decided.

I nodded, my hand glowing. "Molding Magic: Crumble!" The ground beneath her disappeared just as she was about to lash out at me.

"Open the gates of enlightenment, o thousand years of wisdom. Starlight blast!" I cried, feeling magic flow through my body. Yukino was hit and down for the count.

"And Lily Ashley of Sabertooth wins!" The pumpkin man yelled. To be honest, I hadn't actually fought my best. I didn't want Yukino too badly hurt. I kneeled next to Yukino, who was curled up into herself.

"Open, gate of the healer. Marianna," I whispered. She appeared and quickly healed Yukino. I helped her up, and she sighed.

"That was a wonderful fight. You are definitely powerful, but where did you get Lucy-sama's keys?" She asked in a worried tone.

I paused. "Lucy Heartfilia gave them to me. She was my best friend, but she has departed from this world." I said. There was a silence from all around. I dipped my head sadly, listening to Yukino cry.

"On a happier note...you have to date Rogue!" I cheered. Yukino giggled through her tears, shaking her head.

"And that is the conclusion of this heartfelt battle!"

I smiled in pride and bowed for the audience. There was not a scratch on me or anything. I wasn't hurt at all. "Great job, Blondie," Sting said, smirking as he congratulated me. Rogue just glared, and I laughed, slinging an arm around his pale neck.

"Don't tell me you don't like her," I said.

Rogue glowered at me, muttering for only my dragon ears to hear, "Shut up, Lucy."

The second battle was between a girl named Elena Malevolence from Dragon Wing and Wendy Marvell from Fairy Tail A. I cheered for Wendy, hoping she would win. The battle was a long one. Wendy had definitely improved a lot. She used dragon's secret art twice, but Elena was not too badly battered. Dragon Wing's mage quickly unleashed powerful dragon slayer attacks on Wendy. She was a poison dragon slayer.

Wendy drank in air, gasping. Her magic energy was at its maximum, but she had some bruises. Elena cried, "Wing slash of the poison dragon!"

Wendy flipped over the attack and used vernier to quickly get behind Elena. From there, she sent Elena flying into the wall. "Air dragon's roar!" She yelled. Elena was too weak to dodge.

There was a moment's of silence as Elena slowly got up, walking unsteadily to Wendy. "Poison...Dragon's...fist!" The other mage punched Wendy in the gut, but she stopped it with a flying kick to Elena's gut. I whooped, screaming Wendy's name with the crowd. Ten points for Fairy Tail A!

"Wendy Marvell of Fairy Tail A is the winner!" Chapati, the announcer, cried.

The third battle was between Ren Akatsuki and Yuka Suzuki. Ren quickly won for Sherry, winking in her direction. They were engaged, and my former rival seemed very happy.

The last battle was between Mirajane from Fairy Tail B and Warcry from Quatro Cerberus. I shook my head, smiling sadly. Mirajane would kick Warcry's butt.

"And...begin!"

Warcry used his tear magic while Mira turned into her number one Satan Soul. She flashed across the arena, delivering a powerful kick to Warcry's midsection. He flew backwards and went unconcious. Mira went back to her sweet, barmaid form and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry!"

Chapati announced the scoreboard for the day.

First Place: Sabertooth with 22 points

Second Place: Fairy Tail A with 20 points

Third Place: Blue Pegasus with 18 points

Fourth Place: Fary Tail B with 16 points

Fifth Place: Dragon Wing with 14 points

Sixth Place: Lamia Scale with 8 points

Seventh Place: Mermaid Heel with 4 points

Eighth Place: Quatro Cerberus with 2 points

"And that concludes our eventful day!"

Sting turned to me, sighing. "I didn't get to fight," he said. I smirked at him.

"C'mon, guys. Let's go celebrate our success for the first day!" I said.

Rogue cleared his throat, blushing. "Er, I will honor your bet and ask Yukino out," he said.

"Fro agrees!"

"I will come, too," Lector said, flyin away with Frosch.

I turned to Rufus expectantly. "I need to meet up with...Minerva on an issue," he said. Rufus waved and left.

Orga said, "I have to kick Kiyoko's butt as practice for tomorrow." He walked away, following quickly behind Rufus.

Sting shrugged. "I'm all open. You wanna go explore?"

I sighed, glancing at the blonde. He seemed distant, but I decided to ignore that part. "Sure. Let's go grab some ice cream first." I said.

The two of us walked around Crocus, searching for an ice cream shop. We finally came across a small shop called "Sweet Desires" which was nestled in between two bouquets. We entered quietly, chatting about Yukino and Rogue. Both of us were thrilled that the two were getting together even if was just because of a bet. We analyzed our opponents' tactics, thinking of plans to defeat them. I was especially cocerned about Dragon Wing. They may had only been in fifth place, but there was something about them that told me they were dangerous.

"What would you like?" A pretty girl with light brown hair loosely tied in a pony tail asked. She was looking down at a pad of paper. Sting spoke in a husky tone, "I'd like you." I rolled my eyes at his flirting, slightly annoyed.

The girl looked up in surprise before her eyes drifted to me. She squealed, running to me. "OMG! You're Lily Ashley, the great celestial mage!" She cried, bowing.

I winked at Sting. Rejected! He scowled and looked away.

"Hi! Nice to meet you. Did you watch my battle today?" I asked warmly, smiling.

The girl nodded vigorously. "Of course! You were so amazing, but I expected you to be a lot stronger. I thought you were going to demolish Yukino-san."

I laughed. "Let's just say...I held back a whole bunch," I said. Sting glared at me.

"I figured. I was wondering why Yukino wasn't beaten to pulp." He said.

My fan, who turned out to be called Jennifer, asked with a bright smile, "Are you two dating?"

Both of us blushed and yelled at the same time, "No, of course not!"

We glared at each other. "Stop copying me!"

"BITCH! I SAID STOP!" He screeched while I retaliated and said, "ASSHOLE! I SAID STOP!"

At this, we launched into a fight, telling the other to stop copying. Finally, when I had Sting pinned down, I turned to Jennifer with a bright smile. "Strawberry with chocolate toppings for me. And Eucliffe would like some vanilla ice cream with caramel syrup." I ordered, remembering this was Sting's favorite ice cream choice.

Jennifer giggled and nodded, saying, "That would be 400 jewels, please." I glared at Sting, holding my hand out for money. He squeaked and gave it to me, squirming underneath him. Stretching, I gave it to Jennifer. She took it and placed it in the cash register before gliding away to make our orders.

Sighing, I leaned back on Sting's back which made him wince in pain. I snickered, slamming the back of my hand into his face. "Ow!" He groaned in pain.

Jennifer reappeared and handed the ice cream to me, winking. "Come again!"

I smiled sincerely, getting off of Sting. "Will do!"

He got up, his tall form towering over me as he placed his arms around my waist. "Okay, bitch, that was really mean," he whispered, taking a bite out of my ice cream. I squealed in protest, whining.

He whisked his ice cream away and ran off, cackling maniacally. "Dumbass," I muttered before racing after him.

It was sunset when we sat on a bench overlooking a lake. We were surrounded by rose bushes and beautiful scenery, and it felt almost like a dream.

Except I was with Sting.

And I was attacked by squirrels.

"Th-that...was...so...hilarious," Sting said in between laughs. I glared at him, summoning Cancer to fix my hair.

"What do you need, Ebi?" He asked, waving his scissors. I smiled, asking politely, "Can you fix my hair, please? Thank you."

After a few snips, he styled my hair perfectly into its usual do.

Sting and I sat there quietly, just staring out at the lake.

"I think—"

"You—"

We spoke at the same time and exchanged a small, embarrassed look.

"You go first."

"No, you."

"Ah, er. Okay," Sting said, a serious look in his sapphire blue eyes. He took a deep breath before speaking again in low tones.

"Lucy, I think...I think I've started to like you. I mean, not as a friend or like, a frenemie or something. Like, argh, this is coming out so bad. I'm sorry." He said in a frustrated way.

I looked into his eyes for just a moment. A small moment. But in that moment, a connection formed between us. I understood what he was asking for.

He was asking for permission, and I was granting it before I knew what I was doing.

We leaned forward and our lips met in the middle. His lips were soft and sweet and inviting, completely unlike his arrogant personality. He grinned in triumph against me, and I shook my head at his child-like actions inwardly.

And suddenly, everything went wrong.

FLASHBACK

"Those Sabertooth jerks!"

I looked up at a trembling Natsu, his fists clenched and his eyes full of anger. Tiredly, I leaned back and said, "Natsu, please don't get hurt."

His eyes softened as he merely nodded at me before sitting down. "I promise I'll win for you, Luce. No matter what, I'll avenge you for what they've done. It's the least I can do." He said determinedly.

I hesitated as I watched him go out the door again. He would come again right before his match. I knew he would.

Natsu would win.

I smiled to myself, glancing at the flowers on my table. There were all sorts of huge bouquets of flowers, but one set itself apart from the rest.

There was a single red and orange-tinged rose on the table with a pink ribbon tied around it. There was a note, stuck to one of the thorns.

Get better soon! Maybe we can hang out sometime we you're well again.

Your friend,

Natsu

Natsu...

It was like a flood, a hurricane of thoughts and memories in my mind. It was agonizing and confusing all at once-all of these emotions that rose out of me.

Who was I? Who was I to be happy when my best friend and first love was dead? I didn't deserve any happiness, not when he was dead.

I felt his chiseled jaw beneath my searching fingertips, and he was Natsu. Hands slid to my waist, wide and thick and calloused, and he was Natsu. The heat from his body pressed closely to mine burned me, spread a fire through my veins like lava. This heat-these blazing emotions and urgent pressure of his mouth...

He was Natsu.

Natsu, every thought, every emotion.

A cry escaped my mouth, rushing out of my lungs. I ripped myself away from Sting with tears streaming down my face. I was tired, so tired.

Natsu was gone. He was never, ever coming back.

His sapphire eyes were wide-confused and hurt.

He reached out towards me, but I took a step back instinctually.

"Shit, wait, Lucy!"

I was already running.

"Lucy!"

I'M SORRY, STING.

"You hurt him."

"I know."

"Why?"

"Memories. My past. Natsu. I didn't mean it, I promise. I didn't mean...to..."

"You didn't mean to fall for him because he's so much like Natsu?"

"Ah, precisely."

Rogue sent me a pitying look before heading out of my room. "Just remember, Sting isn't Natsu. He's not some replacement for your dead friend."

I hesitated before calling softly, "I know. And that's what stopped me."

Rogue halted at the doorway, turning halfway towards me. "Lucy, think about it. Do you really want to lose your chance for another person? Would you try to love him if you believed he was going to die in the near future?" He asked quietly.

"No. Because I'm too selfish and I would be afraid that I'd probably die from the pain of losing him." I replied, memories of the moments before Natsu's death flashing through my mind. Rogue studied me for a moment before nodding.

"You do care about him. So what are you waiting for?"

Authors'sNote

First, I'll apologize for the very late update.

I am an incredibly fickle person. I catch interests quickly and lose them just as fast, which can definitely be seen in the way I write my fanfics.

You have all been incredibly supportive, and I can't thank you all enough for the reviews. Rereading them made me want to write more.

However, it must be said.

I do not think I can write this any longer. Part of it is due to the fact that I no longer have the drive. But mostly, it's because I simply don't have the time.

So, here is an important notice.

I won't write in detail about each battle/segment of the GMG, but only the essential parts for the plot. Hopefully I will find the will to get the last chapters done in February.

The end is coming soon.

Thank you all for sticking with me so long.

I enjoyed this time. I hope you did as well :)

-flying