Vivian's P. O. V:
I went and meet up with Rogue to go to our usual spot. We sit on the bench as the sun sets, painting the city of Crocus in gold.
"Erza was incredible today," Rogue speaks up as I cuddle his Exceed.
"Yes, she was. She's actually my idol," I say in agreement.
"Now I understand what makes Fairy Tail so strong," He says. "I really hope that Sabertooth can become that way in the future. You're lucky to have such amazing guild mates."
"We fight for each other, she's ears together and laugh together. That's what being apart of a guild is all about," I tell him. "I've no doubt Sabertooth is just like the rest of us, but that you guys are just putting on a facade. I know that not every guild can be exactly like Fairy Tail, but even the others such as Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus and Mermaid Heel are like Fairy Tail, to an extent. A guild is a family, and it doesn't matter if you're blood related or not. We love each other unconditionally, and will do anything to protect each other."
"Sabertooth doesn't have that," Rogue says.
"Maybe not now. But things will change, for the better," I say, taking Rogue's hand and giving it a comforting squeeze. "I've told you that before. And I know you believe it, too, Rogue-kun."
"I know you're right, Viv-chan," He says.
"I'm glad we met, Rogue," I murmur.
I set Frosch on the bench as I rest my hands on it and bend my right knee a little, the afternoon breeze gently tossing my light chestnut brown hair. Rogue gazes at me with a hint of pink on his cheeks.
"Vivian," Rogue says after a long time of silence, making me blink my eyes at him, "I can't really explain it, but when I'm with you, I just feel like I can be myself. Like I don't have to wear a mask, or anything. With you, it just feels normal."
"I feel the same way," I say, putting my hand atop his as I gaze into his crimson eyes. We sit in content silence for awhile, occasionally chatting about random things.
We go out for dinner again and Rogue walks me back to the inn, a content silence between us. When we reach the Honeybone Inn, we say our good nights and I cuddle Frosch again before we go our separate ways.
🗡🗡🗡
I stand at my team's railing with a happy grin on my face. It's the fourth day and in the arena is a huge naval sphere, making this contest a water one. Juvia immediately offered to go considering she's a water mage, and that was the best option. From Team A, they'd picked Lucy, who is no doubt going to use Aquarius for this battle.
It'll be interesting to see who comes out on top.
"Well, someone's in a fantastical mood this morning," Mira says, noting my expression.
"Huh?" I utter, glancing at her.
"Where were you last night, Viv-chan?" Mira asks knowingly.
"I-I was just w-with a friend," I reply, blushing lightly as I stutter.
"Oh? And who might this friend be?" Cana asks, joining in on the conversation, a devious smirk twisting on her lips.
Not you, too, Cana!
I internally groan as I reply carefully, "He's from another guild. I'll tell you the rest after the Grand Magic Games."
"Oh! So there is someone you like! Is he cute?" Cana inquires, making me blush again.
"More like handsome," I sigh in happiness. Cana and Mira giggle at that.
"Well, we're really happy for you, Viv-chan," Mira says, and Cana nods in agreement.
I look back at the arena to watch the Naval Battle. Today I'm wearing my usual causal attire but a cleaner one.
Chapati's voice calls over the microphone, "It's a sunny day for magic and mayhem! We're ready to kick off Day 4's contest segment with a bang! Today's game is called Naval Battle! That's right, folks! Strap yourself in for an exciting skirmish in the sea! The battlefield is a large ball of water. If you get pushed out, you lose the match. The Last contestant left will be declared the winner. However, when only two competitors remain inside the battlefield, a special rule will come into play. We call it the 5 minute rule. In this instance if one of the remaining challengers exists the ring within the first 5 minutes of the final showdown, they will get last place."
Yajima clarifies, "So, the game is essentially an underwater sumo match."
"This will be spectacular! Thank you for having me here," Rabian bows his head as he says this.
"Today's guest is the head of the Scheherazade Acting Troop, Rabian-san!"
Chapati says, "Looks like the challengers are chosen! From Lamia Scale, it's Shelia! Jenny from Blue Pegasus hits the waves! From Mermaid Heel, is Leslie! Also joining the fray is Juvia from Fairy Tail Team B!"
I glance up at Rogue and give him a winning smile. He notices and returns it, a light pink blush on his cheeks. "Juvia is so going to win this contest!" I think knowingly, gazing back at the naval sphere.
"Water and I go hand in hand. No one will beat me while Gray-sama watching!" Juvia proclaims.
"Minerva of Sabertooth, at your service!" Minerva states after she enters the sphere, and the crowd roars wildly.
"Just listen to that crowd! Sounds like we got a fan favourite here!" Chapati states.
"Could this change Sabertooth's Team now that it consists of its 5 strongest?" Yajima questions.
"Lastly, the celestial bombshell from Fairy Tail Team A, Lucy!"
Lucy says determinedly, "I let my team down on the first day. I won't let that happen again!"
Chapati says excitedly, "The scenery doesn't get much better than this, folks! Each team has sent a swimsuit-clad female challenger to represent them!"
"Such beautiful, enticing ladies! Oh, I can't thank you enough," Rabian says.
Rocker demands dejectedly, "Hold up! What about me, man?! I'm here, too!"
Rabian says with a dark look on his face, "Eh. Who cares?"
"Awe, come on! That's harsh!" Rocker exclaims in a flustered tone.
"It's a deep sea rumble! Try to stay in the water for as long as you can! I hope you're ready, ladies, 'cause the Naval Battle is about to begin!"
Natsu cheers, "This is your chance, Lucy! Go get 'em!!"
Gray states, smirking, as Wendy stands in front of him, "If she uses Aquarius, she could take them all out at once!"
Erza says, smiling, "Let's cheer for her as hard as we can."
Wendy nods as she says, "Right!"
The gong goes off. "There's the gong! Let the Naval Battle begin!!" Chapati calls.
Lucy says as she smirks, "Guess I'm going to get the party started this round! Open! Gate of the Water Bearer, Aquarius!" Lucy whips out the gold jet and the blue haired spirit appears.
"What the?" Shelia gasps.
"A spirit," Jenny states.
"Hm," Was all Minerva says as she eyed the celestial and crystal wizards. There's a hidden intent glimmering in the dark haired woman's eyes.
"A fellow mermaid. This is getting interesting," Leslie says, smirking.
Aquarius screams with her eyes as angry white triangles, "AAARRGGHH!! THIS IS MY DOMAIN, YOU BRAZEN BIMBOS!"
Water bursts out of Aquarius' urn in the form of a cyclone. It knocks away Shelia, Jenny, Rocker and Leslie.
Juvia says as she faces the attack head-on, "My turn! Water Cyclone!!" Juvia holds out her hands and her water cyclone shoots out. It collides with Aquarius' attack and pushes against it.
Mira calls, "Give it your all, Juvia! Lucy, you could tone it down a bit, okay? And Jenny, I know you've got more power than that! Get the lead out!"
Gajeel remarks, "I think seven years of snoozing has made your cheerleading kinda rusty."
Cana turns to him as she asks, "Alright, big mouth, who do you think we should be cheering for?"
Looking back at the water sphere, Gajeel responds, "That's obvious. Put Juvia in water, and that's all she wrote. Game over."
Pushing her attack against the Aquarius', Juvia inquires, "It's been awhile, hasn't it, Aquarius?"
"Don't think I'll hold back just because we're acquaintances," She retorts.
"I wouldn't dream of it."
Natsu says in astonishment, "Man! Aquarius is kicking all sorts of butt! She can even hold her own against Juvia's power!"
Wendy says, glancing at him, "I was just thinking the most impressive thing to me is that Juvia's standing up to Aquarius' power."
"We're even?!" Aquarius exclaims in surprise.
"Juvia won't lose here! My darling is watching! Juvia couldn't live with herself if she failed!" Juvia says firmly, determination glimmering in her eyes as she continues pressing her attack against Aquarius'. The bluenette glances at Gray.
Erza murmurs, "It looks like the fight isn't the only thing Juvia has on her mind."
"Juvia!" Gasps Lucy.
"My rival!" Exclaims Juvia.
"For the last time, I don't want him!!" Lucy snaps back, flustered.
"They are really going at it," Says Leslie.
Jenny says, watching the two water wizards, "They're way too busy to deal with anybody else. Which means, this is my chance." She heads straight for Rocker, causing the orange haired man to turn his head in surprise. Only to have Jenny's foot collide with his cheek. "No boys allowed!"
"That's not wild!" Rocker exclaims just before he's kicked clean out of the sphere, and lands in a heap on the warm sand outside.
"Quatro Puppy is out of the game! Jenny caught Rocker completely off guard! The crowd would be happy about this disqualification, 'cause now they get what they really wanted all along: an all girls' bikini battle!"
Rabian just thanks Jenny for that elimination.
"Why me noggin? Nobody loves wild?" Rocket cries on the ground.
Gajeel remarks, "What a cheap shot. I guess that's one way to win."
Mira giggles. "Yes. It certainly is a unique fighting style, isn't it?"
I give the oldest Strauss sibling a closed eye smile as I say, "Yeah. Pretty sure that wasn't a compliment."
Shelia says, "I better kick things up a notch." Air swirls around her hands as she holds them out. She swims for Leslie and slashes at her with her wind-covered arms.
However, Leslie uses her Gravity Changing Magic to give herself a slimmer form. "Never underestimate chubby power, kid!" The ravenette says as she winks, causing the guys in the stands to get big pink hearts in their eyes.
"Okay. This is taking way too long. I've gotta get outta here," Aquarius says.
Lucy gasps in surprise, "But! I need you! What could possibly be more important than helping me win this?!"
Aquarius sneers back at the brown eyed girl as she replies, "My man."
"Again?!" Lucy exclaims, flustered, as the water spirit disappears.
Chapati notes in surprise, "Apparently, Aquarius has decided to abandon her wizard to rendezvous with her boyfriend."
Yajima murmurs, blushing, "Ah, the sweet vigour of youth."
"How ashamed, ugh," Mutters Rabian.
Lucy giggles as she sheepishly rubs the back of her head as Aquarius' water attack fades away.
"Well thought! But without your trump card, you're through!!" Juvia proclaims as she sends her attack after Lucy.
"I could use some help here!" Lucy screams as she swims away, holding up a gold key. Juvia's water attack was blocked by a wall of light pink fluff, as Aries appears.
"I'm sorry we're late. Are you okay, Lucy-san?" Aries asks, glancing at her.
"We're your sexy defenders, Princess!" Virgo tells her. She holds Lucy effortlessly above her head.
"That was close!" Lucy gasps. Again, the men stare at the spirits with hearts in their eyes. Even so, Juvia looks like she still isn't going to let up on her, not for an instant, as she pursues Lucy.
Juvia's Water Cyclone pursues Lucy even as Virgo swims away with her. Aries jumps up and blocks it with her wool.
"You wanna play with the big girls, blondie?" Leslie asks as she swings a kick at Jenny, who jerks back to avoid it.
"Sounds good to me! Bring it," The pretty blonde woman returns as she throws a punch, but it misses.
"Keep ignoring me and you'll wind up on your butts!" Shelia warns as she comes down at the two women from above, causing them to look up in surprise.
"Go get 'em!" Wendy calls from the balcony.
"Little Wendy from Fairy Tail looks like she wants in on the action!" Chapati squeals excitedly.
Rabian coos, "How cute!"
Yajima reminds everyone, "Her fight did end in a draw yesterday..."
Wendy starts to look a bit flustered as Chapati says, "I bet she wants another go at Shelly-Welly so she can settle the score once and for all!"
Wendy cries out with a faint blush on her cheeks, "Nu uh! I do not feel that way!"
"I didn't realise Wendy was here! Oh! I'd love to watch her in action! She was such a help to me in the past when she shooed away those layabouts from my beloved theatre," Rabian says.
"Hear that, Fairy Tail?! The public wants more wonderful Wendy, and we won't accept a substitute! Trade her for the pigtail bimbo, stat!" Chapati exclaims.
"Thank you very much!" Rabian inputs.
Lucy shouts in a flustered tone, as she punches the air, "FIGHT ME!!"
I can't help forming a large sweat drop at that.
Juvia says in a deadly serious tone, "It's time I stopped pulling my punches! I'll take all of you out in one fell swoop!" Juvia holds up her right arms. "With this! My newest and most powerful technique, unleashed by my second origin, and refined by my lover's heart! Darling Gray Love!"
"Don't name use me!!" Gray shouts in exasperation
The water in the sphere begins swirling around her, and easily wiping out three of the competitors. The only ones remaining are Minerva and Lucy.
"Look at her go!! Juvia's pushed three opponents out of bounds simultaneously! If she keeps this up, she's sure to be the queen of the Naval Battle!" Chapati calls.
"Woo! That was awesome, Juvia!!" Cana and I cheer, an alcohol bottle in her hand.
Gajeel smirks as he says, "Not bad. She knocked out three opponents in just one hit."
Juvia glances at Gray with a blush on her face, and I follow her gaze. He's gaping with a glooming aura swirling around him, his body ghost white from shock.
Juvia looks disheartened by his reaction.
I smirk a little deviously a I think, "It seems as though Gray-kun has some love problems!" While I want the two of them together, I can't help but feel a bit bad for the ice wizard, considering how clingy the water mage is when it comes to him.
"Uh oh!" Juvia exclaims as she is pushed out of the sphere, blinking her blue eyes in confusion.
"Juvia!" Lucy gasps, before the water mage lands face first on the sand.
"After a valiantly fought battle, Juvia ends up outside the ring! She finishes in 3rd place and scores six points for her team."
"What a clutz!" Gajeel mutters in annoyance.
Cana says, "Love'll do that to ya.
"Oh, I thought Juvia started off really well!" I say, smiling.
Minerva chuckles as Lucy faces her, and braces herself.
"Only Minerva and Lucy remain. But where did Lucy's celestial spirits go?" Chapati states.
"I'm assuming she sent them away in order to preserve her magic power," Yajima muses.
"It's one on one! Will Sabertooth take the gold? Or will Fairy Tail snatch it away?" Chapati announces. A timer starting at 5 minutes appears above a giant hourglass. "The 5 minute rule is now in effect! If either contestant exits the ring before timer runs out, they will be ranked in last place."
Yajima inquires, "Is there a reason for this special rule?"
Rabian inputs, "You've gotta keep your audience on the edge of their seats. Thank you! That's the golden rule of show business."
Minerva tells the Heartfilia, "End of the line. I could send you flying out of this ring in the time it takes to blink. But the people came for a show, and I intend to deliver. Try to survive. And be sure to scream."
Minerva holds up her hand and a light emits from it. Akira sees an iridescent orb of light appear to her right side. "What in the world?!" She exclaims before being struck by but she keeps in a pained scream, unwilling to give Minerva the satisfaction.
"Pure heat underwater?" Erza gasps in disbelief. Another blast of heat strikes Lucy, making her scream again. Minerva sends more attacks at Lucy.
Lucy is hit with another attack and screams in agony. Minerva's attacks had been heavy. Just... what kind of magic does that woman use?!
"I feel so heavy! Like I'm made out of lead. I need to get a spirit out here, pronto!" Lucy goes to summon a spirit, but her key pouch is missing from her waist. "My keys! Where did they go?!" Lucy looks back at Minerva only to see Minerva holding her keys. "No way!"
Lucy is hit with another blast of heat that sends her flying toward the edge of the ring.
"Oh, no! Lucy's headed straight for the battle arena and into last place!" Chapati exclaims. Lucy flails about and just barely manages to stop herself from from falling out of the ring.
"Aw!" Minerva mutters, before hitting Lucy with a heat blast, throwing her forwards and away from the wall.
"What's with this heat?! It's scorching me!" Lucy asks in confusion. Lucy faces the dark haired woman as she tells her, "I can take it!! Hit me with your best shot!"
Minerva fires a few blasts that hit Lucy and cause her to get knocked back. Lucy grunts as she straightens and clutches her left arm.
"I'll... keep fighting!"
"Oh, really? You're sure you don't want out of this torment?" Minerva questions.
"You want me to give up?! Not happening!" Lucy declares, causing Minerva to raise a dark eyebrow in surprise.
"Hm?"
"If I quit, after my friends fought so hard, it'd be worse than betrayal!" Lucy states, glaring up at Minerva. "I won't do it! Hurt me all you want, I don't give a damn!! I'll win!! My guild... WILL BE NUMBER 1 AGAIN!!"
Minerva gasps softly at this before a shadow is cast over her olive green eyes.
As the timer ticks down to zero, neither Minerva nor Lucy make a single move.
"Huh?! They're just... floating there..." Chapati says in puzzlement. "Minerva has stopped her relentless attacks, but... she was so close to victory!" The timer strikes zero. "The timer is up! Now it's simply a battle for the top spot!"
Her eyes dilated in anger, a multi-coloured orb appears around Minerva's right hand, and Lucy's chocolate brown eyes slowly widen as Minerva thrusts her arm forward. Lucy is struck by an even bigger blast of that scorching heat that knocks her back and makes her scream in agony.
Minerva continues to land heat attack after heat attack on Lucy as she says, "You haven't learned your place, have you?! Maybe this will teach you who you're dealing with! We are Sabertooth, the mightiest guild beneath the heavens! You belong on the ground!"
A blast of magic causes Lucy to go flying toward the exit of the ring, screaming.
"There's no way Lucy can recover from that!" Chapati says as Minerva fires a blast to teleport Lucy flying back to her, stopping the celestial spirit mage from leaving the sphere. "Where'd she go?!"
Lucy reappears in front of Minerva who raises her right knee, and slugs her in the back with a powerful kick. Lucy cries out at the pain.
Chapati states in surprise, "She just reappeared in front of Minerva! But, was it her doing or her opponents'?"
Yajima has a dark look on his face as he watches the fight unfold.
"This is just sick!" Cana hisses.
Gajeel utters with disdain, "All she's doing is just torturing her."
I curl my fingers into tight fists as I feel my blood boiling in anger. How dare she torture Lucy like this!! Someone needs to stop the match, now!
All I could do was watch as Minerva continues to attack the celestial spirit wizard.
With her eye glowing red, Minerva continues to torture Lucy, punching her stomach, then kicking her face. "Lucy is getting pummelled! Even without magic, Minerva is decimating her with blow after blow!"
Minerva continuously punches and kicks Lucy, not seeming to stop anytime soon.
"How horrible! Somebody please stop this senseless brutality. I would really appreciate it!" Fabian pleads.
"Since the match is underwater, there are no knockdowns! All Lucy can do is take the relentless barrage!" Chapati states.
"Stop it!!" Natsu screams, his tan coloured eyes filled with rage.
All the Sabertooth wizards were sneering and chuckling, except for Rogue. I take a quick glance at my mate to see that he's not chuckling and his eyes are cast downward, disliking the torture happening before him.
Natsu, Gray and Erza give the Sabertooth team deadly glares as they growl angrily, "You guys are gonna pay for this!"
I notice that while Sting, Orga and Rufus were sneering and jeering, Rogue wasn't as his eyes are closed.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath in an attempt to calm my anger, at least a little bit.
That did it, and most of my anger subsides, but I feel it lingering. I'm usually the more calm and level headed one of my teammates, but right now, watching Lucy get tortured in front of me, every fibre of my being is screaming for vengeance.
I look back at the match.
"Have you learned your lesson, or should I keep beating it in? I'm fine with that," Minerva says with a dark expression. "Remember this the next time you think of defying me!"
The match is soon called off as it didn't look like Minerva would stop anytime soon. Lucy looks like she was beaten pretty badly.
"The referee has stopped the fight! The Naval Battle is over!" Chapati says as Minerva holds Lucy out of the water sphere by her neck, her body limp and unmoving, covered in wounds, a triumph look on her face. "Sabertooth takes 1st place with an overwhelming show of brutal force! It doesn't look like Lucy is moving. Can we please get the paramedics on the field?!"
"LUCY!!" Fairy Tail Team A shout worriedly as they leap over the railing and into the arena.
"Lucy!!" Natsu and Gray yell as they run onto the arena. Minerva releases the blonde but the boys manage to reach Lucy in time to catch her before she hits the ground.
Gray demands as he holds the unconscious Heartfilia in his arms, "Come on, Lucy! Please, say something!"
No response.
Natsu whirls on the dark haired woman as he growls angrily, "What in the hell is your problem?! You went way too far!"
"Lucy!!" Juvia screams as she, Mira and I rush over to her.
"I need to give her emergency treatment!" Wendy exclaims as she too rushes toward Lucy.
"I'll help you!" Shelia exclaims.
Erza and I gaze at the unconscious celestial wizard for a moment before whipping a dark glare at Minerva. She comes sliding down the edge of the water sphere, and stands before us.
"What a scornful expression," Minerva says.
"Here we go!" Says Wendy as a pale green aura envelopes her hands and she holds them above Lucy's chest to heal her.
"She's hurt pretty bad, so let's combine our powers," Shelia suggests, copying Wendy's actions.
Natsu, Gray, Erza and I glare at Minerva, fury radiating from all of us.
A hand on her hip, Minerva states, "You can glare at me all you want, if it makes you feel better. But, remember that I acted in full compliance with the rules of the competition."
Erza states as she steps forward, "That may be true, but you went way outside the bounds of basic human decency."
Minerva chuckles and replies, "I was simply trying to entertain the crowd, that's all." Erza and I glare at her. "To be quite honest, you should be thanking me. She got second place, didn't she? She could've never have done that without my help."
"That still gave you no right to torture Lucy the way you did!" I snap harshly, coming up beside the scarlet haired woman, on her left. I give the Orland a dark glare. "What you did to Lucy... is absolutely unforgivable!"
I clench my fists, my nails biting into my palms as I struggle to restrain my anger.
Minerva says unvaryingly, holding up a hand briefly before returning it to her hip, "Fine. It's not like I'm seeking your forgiveness, anyway, The Flash."
Natsu growls, whirling on the dark haired woman, "What?"
Gray stands beside me, on my left, as Natsu is on Erza's other side, while the Sabertooth team, except for Rogue, stand protectively in front of Minerva, ready to defend her should the Fairy Tail wizards attack.
I was relieved Rogue wasn't joining his teammates in defending the bitch before us. If he did, then I would've been very disappointed in him.
"What is going on down there?! All two teams are on the ground and ready to rumble!"
Yajima states. "They're all from different guilds but they need to play it cool for right now."
"The dramatic tension in the air is absolutely delicious! Thank you very much!" Rabian says appreciatively.
Team Fairy Tail and Sabertooth stare each other down as the crowd begins to chant, "Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!"
Sting takes a threatening step forward, and Natsu does the same, only to have the Scarlet hold out her arm to halt the Fire Dragon Slayer, when he goes to attack the Sabertooth wizards.
Erza says warningly as she turns to face the Sabertooth wizards, a dark glare on her face, "Although you may be the strongest guild in Fiore, you'd be wise to consider this warning: making an enemy of Fairy Tail is a decision you will regret."
The Sabertooth team just smirk back at Natsu, Gray and Erza as they continue to stare each other down, hateful glares on my teammates' faces.