Author's Note: I am barely alive right now y'all. Wrestlemania was seven and a half hours long yesterday and BOY was it intense. John Cena came out as Thuganomics, for goodness' sake. It was cRAZY. That being said, this is another chapter I tried to get done before I was set to officially return to this story. I apologize in advance for typos and whatnot, but it sounded like everyone wanted some smut... So the entire last half of the chapter is just their mating. I have a break in place for those of you who DON'T want to read it, so you can just skip.

On another aside, this story MIGHT have another 5-7 chapters in it. MIGHT. I'm finally getting to a point where I can wrap things up here- and once this story is done, I can finally go on to focus on my other unfinished fics. (oof, I have... Too many unfinished fics) I hope you all like the chapter nonetheless, and the implications it has on where the rest of the story is going to go. I hope you're all ready to finish this wild ride with me, and I hope you enjoy this chapter. I have no idea when the next chapter will be posted, but I'm working on it now (as well as the next chapter of A Mating Season Love Spell) so hopefully it won't be too long.

Nonetheless, have a wonderful night and don't forget to stay lovely!

A gentle knocking at the door was what awoke Lucy from her slumber. After having a horrible panic attack and then getting calmed by Laxus, the blonde woman was exhausted and drained. Even now, she could feel the sleep tugging at her eyes. Slowly, sluggishly, the woman crawled out of bed and padded over to the door. There was no reason for her to be awake so early- or, rather, what she thought was early- and she was about to give whichever teammate that decided to wake her a piece of her rather tired mind. Opening said door, though, was a shock. It wasn't anyone from her team- or her guild for that matter.

"Sting? What the hell are you doing here?"

The Saber smirked, but she could see the concern in his blue eyes. "I was told by two little birdies I should come and check on ya." He had a bag of food around his wrist, and in that same hand, he carried a two-drink holder with two cups of what she mildly hoped were coffee.

"Which birds to I need to make dinner from?"

"Oof. Vicious."

"I don't like people waking me up."

"You realize you have an hour to get to the arena, right?"

Her brown eyes widened. Speaking with horologium through their bond, she found that he was right. She'd overslept- way overslept. Before she could start freaking out, the slayer put his free hand on her shoulder and leaned down just a bit. Now eye-to-eye, she could see just how deep the concern in his eyes went.

"Levy and Laxus both are freakin' out about what happened yesterday."

She stiffened. How did Levy find out? What all did Laxus say?

But Sting cut her off before she could voice anything. "Don't freak. Chill out a second, alright? Talk to me, you're not needed for a while. Gildarts is sitting with the crew during the event."

Lucy sighed and her shoulders slumped. "I messed up again…"

"You didn't," he sternly replied. "Everyone needs a breath once and awhile. Sounds to me like you've been holding in serious stress lately."

The lass just stepped out of the way of the door for Sting to come in- which he did with little hesitation. He took a seat at the table, being mindful and respectful of not only her things but also of the fact that he was now alone in a room with the mate of the strongest dragon slayer amongst them. Laxus was like an Alpha of sorts, though none of the others would ever admit this much. Slayers were naturally Alphas by default, so none wanted to admit that Laxus was like the Alpha of Alphas… But they all damn well knew it.

From the bag, the blond pulled two takeout boxes, two styrofoam bowls and a third styrofoam food box. Upon opening the takeout boxes, she noticed the lo mein inside and her mouth decided to water. The bowls held miso soup, and the last box had grilled veggies and seafood in it. Her brown eyes sparkled a bit. While this definitely wasn't a breakfast meal, she knew he remembered her favorite food combination from her stay at his guild. She lifted the chopsticks and immediately grabbed at a piece of shrimp that was calling her name.

The tiger laughed at her actions but it wasn't mean spirited. "So… I have what I hope is good news for you."

"Oh?" she mumbled through her food.

He nodded, lifting a spoon to get after his soup. "You're not alone anymore."

Her eyes narrowed at this while she went after the noodles.

He only shrugged at her glare, and only spoke after his spoonful. "The Queen called in the Guild Masters and Laxus. We know about Sunday."

Her eyes went wide.

He nodded. "She told us what you were doing, what you've been hiding from us. We can't talk about anything to our respective guilds. She's leaving that to you, because you made the list of mages."

The blonde woman looked down at the table, suddenly feeling like a scolded child. "...Are you mad?"

"Absolutely," the tiger agreed. "At the queen, for making you hide something like that."

She felt tears prick at her eyes. "...Laxus…?"

"He's pissed too. You're his mate, and making you hide something this heavy obviously pissed him off," he replied easily. He noted the way her saddened scent only seemed to get stronger. "I volunteered to come and talk to you."

"You did?" she whispered. "Why?"

"You're my sister." Sting smirked devilishly. "You're an unofficial Tiger, Lucy. You have our support wholly- and I kind of owe you for opening my eyes."

Her head tilted, confused.

"You brought my mate to me. I can't say how much that means to a slayer, but I owe you a lot."

"Levy?"

"Mhm."

"Strange," Lucy retorted. "I thought it was flirty and fun, not this serious."

"It started that way, until I got my head out of my ass Tuesday and realized what my dragon was fussing about."

She snorted. "Typical Dragon Slayer."

"Hey," he pouted, throwing a piece of grilled broccoli at her. It bounced off her nose and landed in her noodles. "Don't be rude."

"You haven't mated her yet, right?"

He shook his head no. "No dragon slayer has been officially mated yet."

Well that will change later, she thought.

Despite the heavy topic and early morning, a strange sense of relief flooded through her. She no longer had to stay stone silent about the issue at hand. It was no longer only her burden to carry- no longer only hers and her mates. Others knew. Others could now sympathize. Still, she may have a lot to explain, but at least she wasn't alone anymore. At least she and Laxus were no longer isolated, as they had been before. The tension in her gut remained, but it slowly started to unfurl.

"What do you think of the list?" she asked, curious at his take.

He leaned back, taking a moment to think as he munched on his food. It took a few minutes, but he finally spoke. "Curious on what your brain is doing. A little confused. There are names I didn't expect to see on there."

"As in?"

"Warren. Jet. Jager and Droy. Dobengal. Mest. Araña and Risley. Richard, Racer, Yuka… There are a lot of names I don't get."

Lucy nodded, but didn't say anything yet.

"I trust you, though," the tiger admitted. "Rufus may not know, but he's been doing nothing but praising your brain and how far you've come. It takes a lot to even get a good job out of the bastard, so that says something. He was shocked you solved the maze before he did, too."

Her eyes widened and she looked at him in clear shock. "Really..?"

Sting nodded. "Yeah. He's excited that he actually has competition on the strategical front."

"Has he forgotten Freed?"

"Nope, hasn't forgotten. Rufus has won all but ten of the nearly two hundred mind games they've engaged in. Freed gives him a challenge, but not actual competition. You, on the other hand, have him more talkative because of the competition you're shaping up to be."

She blushed lightly, a small smile on her face. "...I'm glad."

They continued to eat in peaceful conversation. Even when she tried to rush, he would slow her down almost immediately and remind her that there was no reason to. She was told, eventually, that Saveya was the one who told Levy of Lucy's panic and disappearance. While at first, she wanted to be mad, she just couldn't find it in her to be. The dream mage was just being cautious and careful and the blonde couldn't blame her there. She was also told that since Rogue wasn't participating today, he was briefly taking Sting's position as guard until they got there.

After Lucy got dressed for the day, the two took off for the arena. They broke apart and while Lucy wanted to seek Laxus out immediately, she couldn't she could hear the announcement of the first person winning the event- Freed. Pride welled within her for her teammate and she couldn't help the happy smile on her features. With one final internal shove, she forced the impending war to the back of her mind.

Right now, she had bigger fish to fry.

The blonde joined her team in their box, though she was only able to stay for about ten minutes before she and Erza had to start heading towards the field to prepare for the battles. Still, in that small time, she was able to reassure everyone there and guarantee that she was fine. On the way down, though, Laxus finally intercepted her.

"There you are," he mumbled, picking up the pace to pull her into his arms tightly.

Lucy smiled and willingly sank into his hold. "I'm alive, I swear."

He chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "You're gonna be fine."

"I won't," she huffed. "I'm probably against a monster."

"We are," Erza nodded from her spot a ways away from the couple. "Jura and Lyon were confirmed to be our opponents."

"See? I'm dead."

"You'll live."

"I'm gonna die."

Laxus shocked her a little, lightning jumping from his person to her shoulder. She yelped at the sensation, but he easily scented the warm vanilla spiced with cinnamon. His dragon let out a massive internal roar at this. Her natural, physical reaction to his magic only made him want her that much more. Unbeknownst to him, the pupils of his storm blue eyes grew slitted. He was trying to keep it together.

Erza raised a brow at him when he looked her way to calm himself down, and that caused him to clear his throat. After her battle, she'd be his. He could wait an hour. He had to wait an hour. The mantra that fell into his mind was only two hours, only two hours, only two hours. It was barely enough to restrain his instincts and his burning desire.

Then, he scented ash and ore.

A deep, low, threatening growl came from his chest and it caused Lucy to pull away slightly. Before she could ask what was wrong, she heard the offenders.

"Luce!"

"Bunny!"

Her brown eyes shifted to the other two slayers standing a distance from the two blondes. "Natsu? Gajeel? What are you two doing here?"

"LUCY!" came a third.

Then, the blonde woman was violently ripped from Laxus.

Wendy had barrelled in, wrapping her arms around Lucy's waist tightly and nearly caused the celestial mage to hit the floor. Laxus was barely able to catch the two before they fell.

"Oof, Wen, what the hell are you thinking?" she 'scolded'. Her tone was too soft to be scolding, though, and she hugged the younger woman back tightly.

Wendy giggled. "We all wanted to wish you luck, duh."

"Well you could have done that without knocking her on her ass," Laxus grumbled.

"Yeah yeah," Gajeel mumbled back as he got close enough to put his hand on Lucy's head. "You need to calm your dragon down, man. Stay strong out there, Bunny."

"I will," she nodded with a smile. She wasn't even embarrassed that they could all smell her arousal- she knew they could, but she was more on the aggravated side. Once again, shit came in her way. Once a-fucking-gain. God, if anything else came between she and Laxus later, she might actually maul someone.

Natsu, sensing her mood, laughed very loudly. "I don't think it's Laxus we gotta worry about, Lug Nut."

"I may maul someone's eyes out, yes," Lucy unashamedly deadpanned.

Erza laughed along Wendy and Gajeel. But, their joy was cut short when the match between Blue Pegasus and Quatro Cerberus was called and began. The two women fighting looked carefully at one another and nodded, preparing to head out. But one last person spoke.

"Bright Eyes."

The two turned, shocked, to see Cobra standing back away from the group leaning against the wall. There was something in his eye that Lucy couldn't see from this far back, but she assumed it was concern. Or pride. The last one, though, made no sense, so she discarded the thought. The silence between the group present droned on, only the sounds of the wild cheers filtering past the stone walls for perhaps a moment too long.

"Give em hell. Let them know just how much of a cockroach you are and trust your damned gut."

She smiled softly.

"Go wild," he finished.

That one hit home- and he knew it did.

She nodded. "I will."

Laxus reluctantly pulled away from his mate and headed back with the other slayers- though he did stop to take one final look back at her. And she met his eyes. Longing, tension, and concern lingered between the two, but nothing more was said. So, he left. And Lucy finally turned to Erza and nodded, heading to what they had dubbed the waiting room. Inside, Orga and Yukino were seen immediately. Behind them were Kagura and Millianna, and to their left were Lyon and Jura.

Lucy looked between Lyon and Jura.

They seemed to understand that she somehow knew that they would be fighting.

This caused an excited smirk to lift the corners of Jura's mouth, and a cocky smile to lift Lyon's.

But she was going to go wild.

They had no clue what was in store.

In this room, they were only able to watch a lacrivision of what was happening in the arena. It was Lucy's shock that Bacchus and Jager pulled a win over Ichiya and Hibiki. That surprised her, but it worked in her favor. Come the final day, she wouldn't have to worry much about three guilds- Mermaid Heel, Quatro Cerberus and Blue Pegasus all were too far behind to properly catch up even if one of them took out everyone else. Glancing over to Orga and Yukino, she realized they would be her biggest competition.

Lamia Scale weren't to be dismissed either. Lucy then realized that there was a reason Sabertooth and Lamia Scale were the number one and two guilds (respectively) while Fairy Tail was missing. This was that very reason. Her brain started running a mile a minute, watching as Orga, Yukino, Kagura and Millianna all left out for the stadium. Her eyes watched their matches, noticing how vicious Kagura was being. The Mermaid was damn near doing all of the work, but she was no match for Orga.

Yukino was able to take Millianna out with little issue, leaving only Kagura left. And they were able to easily out number and overpower the Mermaid from there.

A bad taste was left in Lucy's mouth.

Kagura was going to be a problem, come the last day.

The next full minute was a blur for the blonde. She and Erza were the first ones told to leave for the stadium, the first ones to walk out and wait for the other two they knew were coming. While waiting for the Lamia mages, her eyes wildly scanned the crowd. She saw her guild and Sabertooth both screaming for her and Titania, she saw several fans and spectators getting excited at the premise of the match, and more than that she noticed the way the other four guilds were watching with critical eyes.

Then, she saw the slayers watching from the top of the stadium, along the walls.

And suddenly, Jura and Lyon were coming out.

"This match is scheduled for two falls! The first team to wipe out the other within the allotted time will reign victorious!" Mato called out. "On one side, we have Lamia Scale! The Wizard Saint Iron Rock Jura and his partner, Reitei Lyon!" The crowd went wild for the duo. "On the other, we have Fairy Tail! Titania, Queen of the Fairies, Erza! And her partner…" Lucy lifted her chin, showing pride and honor to be announced. Though what fell from his lips was something she didn't expect to hear. "The Celestial Princess herself, the Comet Wielder, Lucy!"

The crowd was deafening.

Yet through the wall of sound, she could hear Laxus' voice deep in her soul.

"That's my girl!"

Another wave of pride swept through her.

"Let's get the final match of the day under way!"

The projection of the former king dressed as the mascot vanished, and all four mages crouched to ready themselves.

The gong sounded and they were off.

Lucy's 'requip' to Virgo's star dress was faster than Erza's requip to her Ice Queen Armor. They didn't even have to speak to know who would target who.

Jura threw up three rock walls at the same time Lyon threw an Ice Make Tiger their way. Lucy's brain immediately started ticking with strategies, concepts and ideas. Luckily, she and Erza had worked together for so long that the red head didn't have to verbally be told what was on the blonde's mind. All it took was a look. Lyon was on offense, so Erza's job was to push him back to defense or out class him- whichever came first. Lucy, however, had to break through Jura's defense to get him on the offense.

She worked best when she was fighting against someone actively attacking her.

Breaking through the walls was easy in this star dress. She barely touched the first one, running full speed at it, before it crumbled away for her. A startled noise came from Jura and she focused on that. If she listened to the crowd, she'd get overwhelmed too soon. The earth mage wasn't expecting her speed, nor how easily she tore through his walls as though they were made of butter. He jumped back enough to quickly cast his Iron Rock Fist.

But Lucy was faster.

She changed her star dress faster than the human eye could keep up with after tearing through the third wall, and with Taurus' power boost, she punched through the rock fist that flew her way with ease and an astonishing amount of power. Jura's eyes sparkled in excitement and he cast a third spell.

He was playing with her.

Lucy's lip curled into a snarl.

She changed, again, into Leo's star dress. Her feet were barely on the ground when his palms met. A small sweat broke out on her forehead and she jumped as though her life depended on it- which it did. The ground began to rumble and Lucy's eyes and hands both began glowing gold. Without verbal communication, Gemini was summoned as Happy and carried her even higher into the air.

"Rumbling Mount Fuji!" Jura shouted.

"Regulus Golden Blast!" Lucy shouted.

Blue power erupted from the ground below in a massive show of blue magic power heading up and directly towards her. From her hands, an equally massive beam of golden magic power came down at it. The two forces met in the middle, hitting one another and negating each other with a forceful shockwave that created an nuclear boom and blew a vicious winds outwards that blew everyone's hair back and sent lighter objects flying.

"Holy shit," Gildarts whispered with wide eyes.

Jellal, having joined the Fairy Tail booth with all but Cobra, nodded his agreement. "Jura is no push over."

"Her power negated his," Freed stressed.

Lucy landed on her feet in front of Lyon instead of Jura, Gemini disappeared, and her star dress changed once again- this time to Aquarius' dress. Erza jumped from behind her, requipping to her Heaven's Wheel armor and heading straight for the Wizard Saint. Lyon cursed and sent a flock of ice birds at Lucy, equipping himself silently with two ice-made swords. Lucy didn't even blink as her hands glowed gold. With a wave of one of her hands, the birds were deconstructed to water- a little trick she'd learned from Juvia.

Erza was able to cut through Jura's Rock Avalanche with a bit of a struggle. While they needed to keep the others on their toes, Erza's magic wasn't quite on par with Jura's. The very nature of Earth Magic was almost a weakness for the red head, as not all of her swords could withstand the density of his magic. On the other hand, Lucy was able to strip Lyon of his swords and turn them to water.

Jura put his palms together once more.

Lucy clasped hers together.

"Break the Earth with clashing waves-" began Lucy.

"Solidify the Earth I stand on-" began Jura.

"Pull the waters beyond the seas-"

"Arm yourself with the armor of Rock-"

"And force the seas to become a monsoon!"

"And strengthen the very defenses of nature!"

Blue and green waves of magic pulsed off of the Lamia Mage as he stepped towards Erza, who had requipped to her Adamantine Armor. Across the field, gold waves of magic pulsed from Lucy as Lyon cast an ice made shield to protect himself. Both efforts, though, would be in vain.

"AQUA METRIA!" the blonde shouted, pulling water from the skies and causing the earth around her to melt and move as though it were made of water as well. The blast hit Lyon so hard it destroyed his shield, hit him hard enough to cut him open in several places, and pushed him so far back, so fast, that his body created a fissure in the wall of the arena.

"RISE! EARTHEN KING!" Jura put his hand out, palm towards Erza. The ground around him rose to create the very visage he called when he used his defensive Rock Mountain that charged at the redhead. It hit her armor and her shield hard enough to dissentigate it, just as the Jupiter Canon did years before, and then it stomped. The stomp caused a pillar of slanted earth to rise beneath Titania, not only hitting her with his pure magic power but also tossing her back at such high speeds that she, too, slammed with a fissure-crack to the furthest wall of the arena.

These two things happened simultaneously.

Then, Mato shouted "Lyon Vastia and Erza Scarlet are out of the match!"

"HOLY SHIT!" Gray screamed as he jumped to his feet. "KICK ASS, LUCY!"

"ATTA GIRL!" Cana yelled just as boisterously.

The whole damned stadium was roaring, screaming at the intensity of the match thus far… Only they were barely ten minutes into the thirty minute time allotted. Lucy turned her head to look at Jura, who did the same. Jura knew what she didn't, though. That this was her moment to prove she was worthy of being looked at for Sainthood. If anything, Jura himself would recommend her seventy times over after this. Not many were able to pose a challenge, and fewer could negate one of his most powerful spells. In his eyes, she's rightfully earned her place amongst the strongest ten.

There was only one thought running through Makarov's head.

If she's like this now, what will happen after she and Laxus mate..?

A sense of danger flooded through every mage presence, sending the hairs on the backs of their necks standing up straight. Lucy's magic power was coming out, causing that golden glow around her that usually only came when she was meditating with round-generation. Only now, she wasn't meditating. She was using it to quickly replenish what magic she'd lost. A similar glow surrounded Jura, green in appearance. Her eyes narrowed sharply, realizing they were both doing the same thing.

She allowed the star dress to fade away before she took Cancer's, though it was strange that she was without the blades for once. Jura seemed to sense her intent and motioned for her to bring it with a hand, beckoning her close.

Hand-to-hand combat didn't sound bad while they replenished.

It would come down to who filled their containers first.

Lucy sped towards him, shocking him once again with her sheer speed. Thanks to Laxus, Orga and Cancer's star dress, he literally couldn't even see her approaching. All he saw was the blue and black blur of the layered short kimono that was the star dress. His arms came up to guard his center, barely in time to block her lethal right hand. She tried for an uppercut that he was barely able to push away before it connected.

"You've improved a lot," the saint complimented as he pulled her into his fist.

"Thanks," she breathed out as she ducked just in time to dodge it.

No more words were spoken as their fists flew. Jura managed to land a few hits, just as Lucy managed to as well. It seemed the two were fairly even… But looks were deceiving. The two jumped away from one another at the same time, their glows both diminishing. Again, non-verbally she summoned Gemini, Aquarius (there was plenty of water to summon the spirit silently from her Aqua Metria attack earlier) and Chamaeleon and stepped into her Gemini star dress with ease. Gemini and Chamaeleon both shifted to mimic Juvia.

The danger everyone sensed only grew.

Something about her magic and how intense it currently was…

Something about the four female figures on field just screamed danger.

And Jura's increasing magical powers didn't help that feeling at all.

"This is the deciding blow," Natsu mumbled from his position.

Gajeel nodded. "It's been a damned good match though."

"I'd pay to see her and Orga have at it," Laxus commented as he watched his girlfriend with slitted pupils. Her intensity was stirring the beast within, and the other six slayers around him were partially making sure he didn't just jump down there and carry Lucy off like a brute.

"They fight like neither of them could be hurt," Rogue commented, trying to ignore the way his instincts were telling him to run from the danger.

The only one that didn't seem to be struggling not to run was Laxus- who was struggling in a different way.

"Their battles were always spectacular when she was training with us," Sting commented easily. "You should see if you can get her to go after Orga. You won't be disappointed."

Water began to gather around the two fake Juvias and gathering at the opening of Aquarius' jug. But her star dress hadn't yet changed. Jura, on the other side, began centering himself completely for his next attack. When the two sides had gathered enough power, Lucy's transformation with Gemini started to take form. And it made Gajeel, Cobra and Sting struggle to physically hold Laxus back.

A familiar lightning bolt shaped scar covered her right eye, her eyes glowing gold and her hair frizzing out slightly. She shouldn't have been able to copy him- she shouldn't have been able to… But, his magic called out to her, so she answered the call. Perhaps this was a sign of what was to come. Her hands covered themselves in lightning without her intentions, but it seemed as though his magic was vying to help her, to protect her and to fight for her. She didn't need to struggle to control his magic. His magic bent for her.

Jura stepped forward, thrusting his hand out to send rocks flying at her as he started to speak the enchantment for another spell. Lucy didn't have to control the lightning as it zapped out to stop the boulders from hitting her. In fact, it didn't even use her magic to do that. His magic was on a warpath to protect, and she couldn't stop its intentions.

"Go, brat!" Aquarius shouted.

Lucy nodded and jumped high in the air right as three scarily huge typhoons of water shot out and mingled to create one dangerously huge spiraling jet speeding towards Jura. He shouted something she wasn't paying attention to right as she took a deep breath. She used the lightning to send her even higher in the air before releasing a Lightning Dragon's Roar.

Earth, Water and Lightning hit and blasted outwards. Lucy and Jura were both pummelled in the debris left in the wake of the clashing of natural forces. Lucy was hit with a large rock and was sent flying towards the ground at high speeds, though nobody could see anything after she fell into the dust cloud sent up after the explosion. Everyone sat on the edge of their seats, waiting for the dust cloud to settle- and when it did, they were all startled to see Lucy suplexing Jura and tossing him behind her in the process.

"She's not fucking done?!" Gajeel shouted, startled but still clinging tightly to Laxus' waist. He was the only one holding on, since he had the natural ability to ground himself and neutralize the lightning wildly coming from the slayer as he fought the restraints set up by Gajeel's iron.

Jura managed to get to his feet and grabbed her ankle as she went to kick him. He spun and tossed her away from him, but she landed on her feet with a twist, and took off to attack him again. They met in a flurry of punches and kicks, the fast pace of their physical attacks near impossible to keep up with. Those that had watched the S-Class trials, though, had an easier time keeping up with these two than they did trying to keep up with Freed and Lucy.

The saint jumped at her when she hit the ground from a powerful punch, holding his elbow out to drop on her stomach. Her eyes opened and she rolled away as fast as she could. She got to her feet then ran at him as he started to stand. She used her body like a spear, her head barely coming to his side instead of ramming into his gut, and she wrapped her arms around him and took his ass flat back on the ground. Sitting up on him, she reared back and punched him in the head twice before he was knocking her off of him. He grabbed her forearm and twisted it painfully behind her before punching her back and flinging her away in the process.

Lucy cringed and clenched her teeth as she stood- though it was very wobbly. She didn't even try to regain full balance before running at Jura again. He grunted as he stood and this time took a mean Lucy Kick to the back of the head. Jura wobbled and dropped to one knee, Lucy rushing around to stand in front of him.

Lucy's eyes started glowing gold again. "Never take a knee in battle, Jura."

Her fist was the only thing that changed- covered in Taurus' glove. She didn't have the magic for a full star dress, but she could manage his glove. Her fist flew for his head.

A loud buzzer sounded.

She stopped, centimeters from his nose.

"THIRTY MINUTES ARE UP! WE HAVE A TIE!"

Everyone around them screamed in disbelief but cheered for the mages nonetheless, and it took roughly ten seconds for the two mages to fully understand what had happened. Once that realization sunk in, Lucy, too, fell to her knees. Her palms touched the earth as she hunched over, breathing heavily and finally letting out the scream of pain she'd contained the entire match.

Jura fell back onto his back, his eyes looking to the blue sky above, panting just as hard as the blonde next to him was. Slowly, he turned his head to look at the woman.

"You would have beaten me. I couldn't stand after that kick."

Lucy felt tears start falling down her face. She would have beaten Jura?

Her head hit the ground and her fingers clawed at the ground.

She would have beaten Jura!

Pride, happiness and excitement were so overpowering in her body, she could only cry and laugh. She had proven, to an entire stadium full of people, that a holder mage could defeat a wizard saint. It wasn't lost on anyone there that had the match been even thirty seconds longer, she would have won. Her shoulders shook and heaved with the tears falling.

She had proven herself.

She nearly beat Jura fucking Neekis.

"Let's Go Lucy!" Clap, clap, clap clap clap!

The chanting of the crowd finally reached her ears and the tears came harder from her eyes. She was relieved. She was astonished. She was excited. She was joyous… It was overwhelming. That breakdown moment of elation and tears when someone won something they'd worked so hard to do finally made sense. There was a massive weight lifted from her shoulders that she didn't even know was there. There was a sense of freedom. A sense that she'd climbed to the top, she had everything she wanted to prove within arms reach.

A small, elated and pride filled prayer was sent to her spirits.

And a hand touched her back.

Lucy sluggishly sat up, a wide smile on her face as she looked up at Erza standing behind her. Both women had seen better days; scratches, bruises, cuts and temporary magical burns littered their skin. Their physical state didn't stop the excited smiles on their faces, though. Then a hand was in front of her eyes. Looking up, she saw Lyon offering to help her up with a smile on his face. Holding onto his shoulder on the other side was Jura, who beamed at her with pride and joy in his eyes.

She was seconds away from putting her hand in his when lightning struck.

Gajeel lost his hold on Laxus.

There, in front of all of Fiore, the lightning slayer lifted her up gently, and tightly held her close to him. His nose buried in her hair at the crown of her head, and his eyes shut as he held her close. The way she molded against him so easily, despite being beaten to hell and back, made his dragon whimper.

Protect, heal, save, mate!

"I'm so proud of you," he said to her, loud enough for most everyone to hear.

The lass could only think of how Jason must be reacting, but she found that she just genuinely didn't care. Her arms, in pain and feeling twenty pounds heavier a piece, rose to wrap around his neck. He lifted his nose from her hair curiously and she took the opportunity to tug him down forcefully.

There, in front of hundreds of thousands of people, she kissed his stupid face.

"Laxus, get her back in the hotel with a bath," Erza called, interrupting their moment and thankfully giving them the out they needed. "She needs it."

He pulled back and nodded.

In another flash of lightning, they were gone.

Jura shook his head and chuckled. "Oh, Young Love."

The only thing that made Erza giggle harder than that statement was seeing Makarov in the stands, crying and jumping around in excitement.

Lemon warning: Skip the rest of the chapter if you do not want to read the smut.

Lucy could hardly keep her excitement tamped down as she almost raced through her bath. Virgo stood behind her, washing her hair gently as the blonde relaxed in the tub. It had been a long, stressful day with a little more magic usage than she would have otherwise desired… But she felt so accomplished. So ready for anything. And more than anything, she was ready for the slayer in the other room. Virgo had put a soothing and healing oil into the water for her, and boy did it make all the nasty creaks and bruises feel like nothing. Still, she just barely had the mind to call Cancer after she was dressed to dry her hair for her… And put it in a bun so she didn't have issues later.

Then, she was on the hunt.

Laxus barely had time to register that she was out of the bathroom before she was on him. She launched herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck. He seemed startled, but once her lips met his, he dove in with just as much reckless abandon. This was their moment, the moment they'd wind up bound for life together. His hands stabilized her, resting yet grabbing at her hips. His grip tightened just a bit, very gently pulling her towards him. Her lips parted over his and she knew what he was doing. He was giving her enough room to stop now and turn away… But that was the last thing on her mind when his tongue reached hers. Not even thinking twice about it, she followed his urges.

Lucy wanted this so badly and she couldn't bring herself to care about anything else.

Laxus wasn't willing to let her go again, but if she needed to, he wouldn't stop her, even if it killed him to let her go.

He guided them backwards, slowly. His dragon was clamoring to be let out, to take over and drive his instinct but he forced it down again. He didn't want their moment to be ruined by his damned dragon, and he'd continue to keep it locked away until he couldn't any longer. He pulled back for a moment, meaning to ask her if she was truly ready for this and if she had any reservations, but she didn't want to stop their forward motion just yet. She jumped up, wrapping her thighs tightly around his waist, moaning at the feeling of his large hands holding her by the backs of her thighs. His tough, calloused hands sent shivers up her spine that had her threading her fingers through his hair.

He scooted her upwards a bit, so her head was above his. She looked down when he looked up to her, her hair falling like a golden veil, shielding them from the rest of the world. Her brown eyes burned a heated cocoa color, the light blush on her high cheeks suiting her slightly tanned skin. Her small hand fell from his hair to his chin, and that was the initiative he needed to kiss her again. Their lips met and he barely had the mind to pin her to the wall before he tripped over something trying to make his way to the bed.

The moment her back hit the wall, a beautiful moan fell from her strawberry lips.

"Lucy," he breathed, pulling away for a moment. "Are you sure about this?"

"Let's go," she breathed out, dragging her lips down past his jaw to the hollow of his throat, "all the way. I'm ready for this, Laxus. I've never been more ready for anything in my life." Her mouth opened over his neck, dragging her teeth across the flesh there, teasing both him and his dragon as she mimicked what he would later do. "Does that sound okay with you?~" she teased.

He couldn't stop the groan that sounded from him. His hands slid up from her thighs, grabbing her ass roughly enough to cause another moan to escape her. "I hope you know what you're getting yourself into."

"Hmm," she hummed, pulling back to cast a heavy lidded gaze his way. "I don't think you know what you're getting into."

He smirked wildly at that and carried her over to his hotel bed. "Well well, Lucy, we'll see how this turns out," he said as he laid her on her back, "and see if you can remember your name by the end of the night."

She smiled widely at that, but paused a moment. "Uh… We may need to keep it slow until I get used to it..."

He shook his head with a laugh, reaching up to tuck her hair behind her ear. The soft, caring, gentle smile on his face had butterflies going absolutely mad in her gut. "I was going to anyway. I'm a big man, in many ways, and the last thing I want is to hurt you your first time."

Her heart skipped a beat.

"Okay."

He captured her lips once more, only now Lucy became hyper aware of his being in a way she never had with anyone else before. She was drawn to him, like a moth to a flame, but it was more than just that. The ache she felt was soul-deep, something burning to rise to the surface. What it was, she didn't know. All she knew was that he was the epitome of testosterone and manhood, and she craved him. His hands slid her shirt up, sliding beneath the pink fabric. Internally, she cursed ever clothing herself after the bath.

When his bare skin touched hers, it was as though everything fell in place. This, being here with him, was the answer to everything. His touch was so gentle and borderline tickling, barely grazing over her flushed flesh, but it was enough. It was enough for both of them to feel a major sense of deja vu… But not in a bad way. Instead, it was like Lucy knew what his next move would be just as Laxus knew what made her cry out the most. His hands slid further upwards, and it felt like the ghost of a touch he'd given get before, though that was impossible. When he made it to her bra line, only his thumbs slipped under it, adding just enough pressure to the highly sensitive underside of her breasts.

A shiver raced up her spine and she reached for his arms with a keening whine, arching her back just a bit as her mouth tore away from his. He smirked and kept sliding the shirt upwards, hooking it just over her breasts. Those slow moving hands trailed back down, grazing her ribs in the same slow and soft touch. This made her realize just how large his hands were and just how small she was in comparison to him. Hell, his thumbs were nearly meeting just beneath her bra whereas his middle fingers were on her sides. She couldn't tell if he was teasing her or taking his time, but boy, this was pathetic. A few touches from him and she could feel how wet she was.

She barely noticed the way his pupil slitted, or the internal struggle hiding in those storm blue eyes.

His skillful fingers worked their magic, slowly sliding beneath her heated flesh until he found the clasp of her bra. He tugged on it, freeing her breasts with one motion. He slid her shirt up and off and then slid her arms out of her bra. Her breasts were bare to his eyes and he hurried to latch on to one of her nipples. She moaned, her hands gripping at his hair and tugging at it in an effort to bring him even closer - if that was possible. Her legs were tightly wrapped around his waist, as she dry humped him through what remained of their clothes. More friction, more sensations. And it was not enough. He began thrusting his hips back against her movement and, then, he was the one groaning against her breast.

Lucy, though eyes shut during the moment, traced her hands up his arms then down his back. She couldn't quite reach the bottom hem of his shirt but that didn't matter. No, all she had to do was claw and clutch at the tight, black fabric and start pulling it upwards. He got the message and, with a disappointed groan, peeled away from her chest to yank it off. Her eyes opened when the cool air touched her damp nipple. He couldn't help notice the burning look hidden in their dark depths, molten gold flakes shining against the deep coloration.

Appreciatively, her hands slid down his thick chest and over each dip and groove of his muscles. Then they trailed down his arms once again, her thumbs finally grazing the divots of the muscles there. Something about her touch there at his wrists, specifically, lit his soul ablaze. He'd been in this position with a small handful of other women and yet none of them had this effect. There was just something there, something that only Lucy held, and he couldn't place it. He could only chalk it up to her being his mate.

The dragon roared, and he had to reign it back yet again.

She sat up startlingly fast, her hips grinding yet again against him. When her mouth met the tattoo on his chest, his hips jerked back against hers. What scared him, though, was that he could feel his magic rising to the surface in response. While it didn't feel like his magic was revolting and trying to get a threat away from him, it still made him far too wary. She wasn't Jura. Jura could take many electrical shocks with little damage, as a side effect of his magic. Lucy didn't have that kind of protection. A small shock earlier was no problem, but with the force that his magic was rising, he wasn't sure if a larger one would hurt her or not.

So, he grabbed her wrists lightly and quickly pinned her down.

She bit her lower lip and looked up at him. Her golden tresses were sprawled out on their hotel bed, her cheeks flushed beautifully in arousal, her white teeth biting her slightly kiss swollen strawberry lips.

"A vision of beauty," he murmured as he descended on her neck once more.

A soft exhale left her. The shudder that raced up her spine when he sucked on her neck was felt through her bare chest against his. His fangs grazed her neck lightly, repaying what she'd teased earlier. This was testing her patience enough. Laxus' touch was more than just physical. It stirred something else, something she couldn't quite place, deep within. His every touch was followed by the ghost of recognition, the ghost of ethereal passion, and it sparked and shocked her very core. This wasn't a physical connection anymore. Whatever it was, it was deeper, more meaningful, and it borderline scared her.

That fear was drowned out by arousal.

Done with this slow pace, Lucy tightened her thighs around his hips and bucked up hard enough to startle him. With him now distracted, she put her hands down on the bed and used her legs to drag him down to the side. That same momentum let her flip him on his back and straddle his waist. A smirk took over her features at the pure shock on his own. She grinded against his hard cock through their clothes, revelling in the power surge she felt when his eyes rolled back and shut in ecstacy. Seeing such a powerful man under her, reacting to her touch, made her feel on top of the world.

A sinful idea took her and she leaned down before placing open-mouthed kisses down his neck and over his pectorals. His abs quivered when her mouth grazed over them, trailing even further down his body. Her hands busied themselves with his jeans, getting them unbuttoned and unzipped for when she made her way further down. She let her tongue trace a damp path along his hip while she pulled his jeans and boxers down to his hips, her eyes up at his the whole way.

Another surge of power hit her, though this was coupled with her magic rising to the surface. It was strange and unusual, since as a holder mage she only felt this way reciting the first lines of her Urano Metria spell or when in a star dress. She tamped it down, but refused to stray from her destination. Her chin grazed over his cock and her eyes widened before finally looking down at what she was dealing with.

A swell of pride rose in Laxus's chest when she looked down at his cock with what looked akin to a lustful mix of shock and awe. Or, rather, that's what he preferred to think of it as. He wasn't lying when he said he was a big man, and Lucy only just realized his truth behind that statement. It wasn't scary big, thankfully enough, but it was- in her experience from books and the magazines Cana had- well over what was assumed to be average. Girthy, though with how thick his fingers were it was to be expected, and long.

And enough to make her gut clench as anticipation flooded her loins.

She licked her lips and it twitched.

"Lucy, I don't think-"

He was cut off by her tongue tracing up his length, a pleasured groan leaving him in place of words. She smirked again, feeling floaty from how he melted beneath her touch. She flicked her tongue against the head, mentally cheering at the twitch his hips gave in response. Her mouth closed over the head and decided that there was, in fact, a downside to her decision. If she stayed too long like this, her jaw was going to be in severe pain.

He panted airily, sitting up on his elbows as she slowly worked as much of his dick in her mouth as she possibly could. Those brown eyes flecked with burning gold embers locked onto his own and he couldn't stop the growl that sounded from his chest at the mere sight of her pouty lips wrapped around him. No matter how far she made it, which was only about half to two thirds of the way down before cringing and pulling back, he'd have the image permanently imprinted on his memory. Not that he was aware of it, but Lucy's eyes stayed on him mostly because of the way they were actually glowing.

Those stormy irises were casting a strong, yet somehow still soft, glow onto the rest of his face. The pale light they gave off contrasted beautifully against his lightly tanned skin, highlighting just the right places to make him look striking. She felt her magic itching to reach the surface. High cheekbones, strong jaw, strong collarbones, thick yet groomed brows… He looked every bit like a god in that moment.

She whimpered around his member, rubbing her thighs together in hopes to relieve some pressure. It sent vibrations enough up his cock, causing his teeth to clench as he inhaled sharply.

"Lucy, c'mere," he commanded, his voice low and rumbling from the internal struggle against his dragon.

Hit with a wave of defiance, she moaned a soft 'nuh-uh' through her full mouth and took more of him in. He hissed and finally sat up fully. Her brows furrowed, her eyes hard still in defiance. He wasn't about to let her take this much power from him. He was, at his core, an alpha. Being in such a position wasn't unfavorable, but being here too long made him antsy. Without warning, he grabbed her by her hips and pulled her up into his lap, his face startlingly close to hers as he looked down at her. She clenched her thighs as much as she could from where she was straddling him, causing the soft material of her leggings to rub against his naked cock.

Once again, she cursed having ever put on clothing.

His large hands grabbed her ass, the soft flesh covered by cotton, though he couldn't grab all of it. The action still lead to her grinding again against him and he had to slide his hands up her sides to stop himself from tearing her leggings off of her. One thing Laxus appreciated about her figure was just how wide her hips were and how thick her ass was, coming to a pinch at her waist gorgeously from her early years of being in a corset.

This was the moment he took to regain himself, restrain his magic and control his senses. It almost scared him to continue with how little restraint he had in the moment. Still, the dragon refused to let him back out now. It roared and clawed and demanded he mate the woman beneath him. In a show of dominance, he stood with her in arms only to turn them back around and drop her back on the bed. His hands grabbed onto the elastic hemming of her leggings, his fingers tucking even beneath her blue panties beneath the black cotton, and yanked them forcefully down her legs.

She seemed momentarily concerned about their hopefully not-destroyed state, but the only thing that left her was a surprised yelp when Laxus lifted her up by pulling her legs up onto his shoulders as he sank onto his knees beside the bed. She took a shuddering breath to protest about him yanking her around like a rag doll, but the words never met her tongue. Instead, a throaty moan left her when his sinful tongue dragged up her soaked nether lips.

"Gods, you taste like heaven," he mumbled before diving back in to suck lightly on her clit.

Lucy's back arched at the sensation, not realizing the weight behind his words. His eyes stayed on her figure, feeling a stirring in his soul at how naturally reactive she was to his touch. Instinctual, primal and driven by ecstasy. His breath caught in his throat when she looked down at him, the burning gold flecks shining and casting a faint light. Her magic was rising and he could sense it. It pleased some deep, primal level of his soul and his appreciative growl left his chest.

Her eyes shut when another loud moan left her and he had to force himself to not think about it. Thinking meant losing control. His tongue flicked over her bundle of nerves several times over, loving the way it made her thighs shake on his shoulders.

He lifted a finger to insert in and groaned throatily and how tight she was. It was going to make this a little more difficult, which made him hesitant to truly take her… Still, he wouldn't leave her dissatisfied. Something in his gut flipped angrily at the thought of her being left like that. He listened carefully at the way she keened when he curled his finger upwards, pressing against her upper wall roughly, trying to ignore the protests his dragon had at that train of thought.

The way his finger curled made her toes cramp with how tightly they were also curled. Lucy felt the pressure in her lower gut build and build, rising to higher levels and creeping up on her peak. Then, she felt the tip of another of his fingers rub lightly over her entrance before slowly easing in. Her inner walls fluttered at the feeling of being stretched by his thick hands. Thinking she was in pain, he curled his fingers again and lapped attentively over her clit. Her thighs clenched around his head and her hips bucked, desperate to chase her climax.

Those magic fingers of his scissored inside of her and she couldn't help but put her feet flat on his back to raise upwards and change the angle he was fingering her at. Another strangled moan left, despite her vain attempts to keep herself silent.

"Oh God, Laxus," she moaned out.

His name fell from her lips and he needed to hear it again.

He sucked harder and slowly put a third finger in her, stretching her further. He once again hooked his fingers inside of her. Then, he let just the tiniest amount of lightning from both his tongue and his fingers.

"L-Laxus! I-I'm-"

Euphoria.

Laxus pulled his mouth away from her quivering pussy. He was vaguely aware of the faded blue glow on her lower stomach, but paid more mind to how tightly she clenched around his fingers as her orgasm caused her to spasm wildly. Her hips rocked forcefully, riding it out as long as he'd allow her to. The way her eyes were clenched, the red blush on her cheeks… Her mouth was parted in a silent scream, her body arched off the bed in a way that pleased him on a base level… She was gorgeous when she fell apart.

He wanted to see it again.

He kept his fingers moving, sparking, not letting her calm or relax from the climax, and she climbed higher. Her hands clutched desperately at the blanket beneath her, whines and half-moans sounding through her clenched teeth as she continue to gyrate her hips to continue chasing yet another release near mindlessly. A particularly loud cry left from her mouth as it parted, the broken syllables of his name once again falling from her lips as she came apart for him again. Her hips jerked with every clench of her climax, her breath no more than panting at this point.

She opened her eyes, desperation deep within her barely glowing eyes. "Laxus, please."

He never expected Lucy to beg.

"I need you in me."

Gods, that was all he needed to hear.

Looks like he wouldn't have to deal with blue balls.

"Alright, babe," he agreed huskily. First things first, though. He stood and reached over to his bag on the side table, grabbing his wallet to get the just-in-case condom out of it that'd honestly been in there for a couple of months now. With the package barely torn open, she had already wrapped her thighs around him again. His hands stopped their efforts once the condom was out of the package, since she lifted her wet pussy to rub over his throbbing cock. A deep groan left him again, and again, he had to restrain his magic and regain composure. It was getting increasingly more and more difficult to do that.

"Lucy, Princess, you gotta stop that if ya want more."

She pouted but stopped at that point. "But I like seeing you want me."

He let out a breathy laugh and gave a devastating smile that made her ache more for him. "You don't have to torture me to see that, you know."

She but her lip, watching like a hawk as he rolled the condom onto himself. "But that takes the fun out of it."

He raised a brow, looking up at her like a predator.

Gods, he could ruin her underwear (if she was wearing any) with a look alone.

Laxus grabbed onto her hips forcefully, reminding her of just how large his hands were and how small she was in comparison to him. He pulled her closer and rested the head of his cock just at her opening. The predatory look didn't diminish any, though it did grow a bit softer. "Tell me if you need me to slow down or stop, alright? One word and that's all it'll take."

Her heart skipped a beat and she nodded. "Just get in me already."

He laughed darkly. "Demanding, aren't we? Maybe I should remind you," he breathed as he let his cock slide up her slit and rub against her clit sensually, "that I can split you in two."

The way her back arched couldn't be attributed to the way he rubbed against her. No, the dark sensuality in his words sent delightful shivers through her. She whined again, growing desperate at a fast pace yet again. "Laxus, please," she breathed.

He smirked at how easily she caved, how easily she submitted in her aroused state, and mentally agreed that this was enough teasing. Just the tip, just when the tip was barely inside, he looked up at her in a concerned manner. Once again, she felt butterflies explode in her core. One second, the slayer was talking to her like she was his submissive, yet the next he was watching her with true concern for her well being. He always seemed to tough and brutish on the outside, but this was yet another glimpse at his soft side. Knowing now, more than ever before, that the massive man was a true gentle giant only made her ache more. This ache was more of her entire being aching, rather than a physical ache.

She nodded for him to continue.

He slid inside slowly, stopping when he was somehow fully seated inside her fluttering walls.

The stars aligned.

Lucy's eyes rolled back, her hands grabbing at his hair. There was a strange commingling of pain and pleasure, the pressure his cock provided seated so deep inside that it alone had her back arching. She bit her lower lip and circled her hips as best as she could, trying to already get motion between them. A deep seated growl left him, and he pulled out slowly only to re-enter her just as slowly. Her ankles hooked together behind his back.

Her eyes opened to see him watching her reactions like a hawk. She felt her already flushed face warm even further. He licked his lips before attacking hers, his tongue demanding and forceful, testing her defiant nature by countering it with the promise of pleasure by remaining complacent. His hands at her hips sparked with lightning when she tried to fight against him, and it immediately caused her to submit. Her walls clenched so tightly around him that he almost couldn't even breathe.

His dragon clawed closer to the surface.

"Laxus, just let loose already!"

Well, there went his last strings of control.

Lightning covered his person, crawling off of his person to attach to Lucy. Instead of being hurt by this, her back arched and she cried out loudly. His hips came back before he slammed deep inside of her- and her walls were already clamping down on him as she came yet again. A wild, feral smirl lifted one corner of his mouth. Like a jackhammer, he pounded into her with the power and intensity of a dragon. Her sounds eventually died down to a hoarse, wheezy and airy sound of nothing but pure euphoria.

He felt her climax again around him and he growled lowly. His muscles started to broaden, yellow scales covering small patches on his arms, chest, neck and legs. He was lost to the world, detached from everything that wasn't his mate. He hiked one of her legs up onto his shoulder and managed a deeper angle. Her eyes rolled back, her hips jerking at the sensation, and her magic finally escaped through her. In a golden haze, it surrounded the two and warmed Laxus' skin- almost as though it were trying to burn him, but couldn't. Wouldn't.

He knew his climax was approaching.

Their magics were mingling with one another, entering the other's body and filling them with even more sensations. His fangs elongated further and he attached his mouth to the nape of her neck, but hadn't yet bit her. Yet in that moment, so close to actually biting her and solidifying their mateship, he was suddenly assaulted by senses.

A tight warmth in his gut that wasn't his. Euphoria, sensuality and pleasure filling every fiber of his being. And he realized that his thrusts were in time with the pulses of fire burning away at the tightness in 'his' gut. He accepted this, embraced these sensations as they drove him closer and closer to his own release. Lucy's back arched just as the pleasure was unbearable, and he knew that it was what she was feeling that overwhelmed him this way. Her climax forced his along, near simultaneous.

His fangs pierced the flesh of her neck, and both of their pleasure climbed even higher.

Their magics swirled, lifted and mingled until it felt like one unified magic. It then returned to them, Laxus' entering through a scratch she'd made on his back and Lucy's through the mating mark on her neck. His fangs retracted, his lightning gone, his muscles returning to their normal state, and he very reluctantly pulled out of her.

She whined at the sudden emptiness, but her voice wasn't there.

He kissed her temple lovingly, lifting her enough to get her positioned correctly on the bed. Then, he wrapped the blanket around both of them.

"L-Laxu-"

"Shhh," he cooed, a low purr leaving him as he nuzzled his nose against the patch of yellow scales on her neck. "Sleep. We can deal with things later." Little did either mage know what the future would hold, both for themselves and the others. Even less did they know just how much would change because of their coupling. Still, he was steady in his sentiment. That could all be dealt with later.

She didn't have the energy to argue, and within seconds fell asleep.