Enlightened Shadow | Rogue Cheney X OC

Ch 2 | Another one bites the sand

p.o.v. Yanida Clover

"It's decided! We are going to participate in the Grand Magic Games!" The 3rd, 5th, or was it the 6th guild master decided, Makarov Dreyar. The past years I never asked to be put on the team for the Games, I didn't feel like it was important to prove to others what we are able to do. They also never asked me to participate, so I never felt the tendency to ask for it. But when I saw Natsu and Gray getting all excited about it I couldn't deny that it was contagious.

"You guys may be excited about it, but that doesn't take away that you are seven years behind on magical power." I pointed out to them. "Then we need to train during the time we have." Erza answered with a positive mindset, "So you're going to try and catch up on seven years training in three months?" I asked disbelievingly. But my reasoning didn't catch up on them because they all answered with a big "Hell yeah!".

What they promised, actually happened and the next day everyone choose their own way to train for the Grand Magic Games. I stayed in Magnolia with Natsu and the others, "How did your magic power develop these past seven years?" Lucy asked curious, attracting the attention of Erza, Wendy and Charle. "Oh, I just have psychic type magic," I answered suddenly self-conscious, not knowing how to answer that. "We know that much, but did you develop some new techniques?" Erza asked wanting to know more. "We could have a friendly battle, it's a great way to test my current magic power," Lucy said excitedly, remembering my passive magic from back in the days. Everyone decided that the beach would be the perfect place to start their training and so everyone gathered in their swimming wear.

"I guess you're right, I won't hold back though." I told her, "I wouldn't want it any other way." She answered not knowing what she just got herself into. We made a circle in the sand defining the battleground and stood opposite of each other, Erza gave the start sign.

My expression changed from a smiling and innocent to a wide grin across my face. Lucy did not notice this when she opened the gate of the great bull, Taurus. Taurus complemented Lucy and my body before she told him to concentrate on the battle. Taurus swung his axe at me at full force, but I foresaw his attack thanks to my mind reading and took a step to the side. He missed me by a hair, and I used the moment of surprise to push him over, making him fall flat on his back. In the meantime I ran towards Lucy and gave her a roundhouse kick into her stomach. She flew several feet back, her hands covering her belly; "Auwch, that hurt." I heard her comment on my kick, "I'm sorry Lucy, but I meant what I said. I won't hold back." I excused myself actually enjoying proving her I wasn't the same helpless girl she remembered. "And I meant it too." She answered smiling through gritted teeth standing back up, I expected nothing else.

I heard Taurus standing up again and running towards me the same way he did before. I also repeated what I did before, but Taurus didn't fall for it this time and kicked me in my side. I ignored the pain in my side and used Taurus' strength against him by being fast. I cut him on his knees with my curved sickle ring around my middle finger. He cried out of pain and his attacks became even more reckless and thoughtless. I smiled cutting other vital points of his body just barely. When I attacked the last point, the place between his two shoulder blades. He collapsed, unable to hold his axe, Lucy was surprised and closed his gate.

"I use some sort of acupuncture method, turned around. I cut vital places of someone's body releasing energy and strength. You could argue that I weakened the fundamental places and, in the end, struck the final blow that makes the house collapse." I explained, normally I wouldn't tell this to my opponent but my guildmates may know the way I fight. "That's brilliant," Erza stated and even Charle looked like she thought I was a genius.

"Either way, you will have to be able to touch your opponent with that technique", Lucy said before opening Sagittarius' gate, "Fire your arrows at her, but don't let her touch you," Lucy instructed him. I kept moving, finding the rhythm in which Sag' fired his arrows. One, two, three, one, two, three, one, two, ... and so on I danced around his arrows steadily coming closer. After the count of three, I aimed a throwing knife at Sag' hand wounding his firing arm. I front kicked his left kneecap making him collapse to the ground. Before I could do anything more Lucy closed his gate and called for Lok's. "Don't tell me you're the sweet Yanida from seven years ago?" he asked politely giving me a smug face. I couldn't help but smile, I answered him butterfly kick. He blocked it and punched me in my stomach, and I fell down to the ground.

I had a close combat fight with Loke, this was a good way to train my abilities and I enjoyed it. Loke managed to dodge every attack I tried with my curved scythe ring. That made me think to use my ring attacks as a diversion, which I followed with an axe-kick in his crown jewels. Loke fell to the ground in pain, rolling on the sand left to right. At the moment that lucy closed Loke's gate, I took the liberty to send a psych beam to Lucy, she fell to her knees grabbing a hold of her head screaming out in pain. After a couple of seconds, she managed to stand up and took her whip together with the gate key of Scorpio. When Scorpio entered, he sends a sandblast my way which I barely managed to levitate towards Lucy, hitting her instead. "OWH, that wasn't my plan Lucy." He said apologizing to her. "Don't worry Scorpio, keep sending sandblasts at her." I kept levitating the sandblast away from me, but they came close behind each other and I didn't have time to anticipate Lucy's whip. she grabbed me by my ankle throwing me to the ground. The next sandblast hit me, and I used my hands to shield my head.

When it passed, I coughed up the sand that managed to find its way in my mouth and smiled afterwards. 'how can I attack Lucy without her being able to use a Celestial Spirit as her shield. Close combat won't work so I need to use my levitation magic, but what would go unnoticed.' I looked around for something I could throw at Lucy, but I came across another idea. I took the same stance I did when I send out the Psyche beam, which made Lucy to summon Horologium. Instead, I levitated the sand under her spirit and made it fall causing him to leave. When Lucy wasn't inside Horologium anymore, I levitated the sand to make a giant hole, Lucy falling into it getting trapped with only her head sticking out.

I smiled but either way, I also fell to the ground, levitating this much grains of sand made me extremely tired. I let out a content sigh and stretched out my left arm holding my thumb up, indicating that it was a great battle.

I crawled over to Lucy and saw that she felt a bit down by losing but also smiling. "I guess I need to improve my magical power, maybe then I can open two gates at the same time!" she said getting all fired up. I smiled at her; "I should also improve that."

"That battle was awesome!" Natsu came shouting at us, Gray and Juvia closely behind. "I never knew you could fight like that Yanida! You have to teach me that jumping twirling kick!" he told me leaving no room for a discussion.

After the battle between Lucy and me, everyone found their own place to train on their own terms. Lucy summoned Capricorn and let him be her teacher. And Natsu began running to who knows where together with Happy flying above him. I settled down between all the townspeople who just wanted to enjoy the nice weather. The power I have to strengthen is my range of telepathy, I have to try to be in contact with as many people as I can, sensing everyone's presence and magical power.

On the second day, this was no different, but when Virgo appeared out of the sand everyone got worried. She told us that the spirit world was in danger and they needed our help. "Virgo, why can't you just tell us now what happened? It's better that we are prepared before we burst into a battle, we know nothing about it." I tried to reason with her because she gave us little information. But Virgo didn't listen to me; "Let's go" she said summoning a portal to the spirit world.

When we arrived, Lucy talked to the Spirit King. He was even bigger than I imagined he would be, he looked like a big, but friendly grandpa. "Lucy and friends! Let us celebrate your release from the shackles of time. Party!" he ended his speech.

"What about the "in danger of destruction" thing?" Lucy asked what everyone was thinking. But Virgo acted as if her nose was bleeding.