Chapter 22
Pandemonium Begins!
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas
.:+:.
"How could you be so stupid?!"
Erza's voice cut like one of her swords, Natsu wilting under the shouted question as he sat on the floor in front of her like a child in trouble. He sweatdropped, his arms crossed over his chest and pointedly looking away from her entirely as she seethed above him- along with Gray, Carla and Lucy looking just as annoyed. Happy stood by his Partner looking uneasy, but saying nothing- Wendy was watching them off to the side a little, her eyes flicking between Erza and toward the very visible bruise on Natsu's cheek.
"Yeah man, did you even use your brain?!" Gray snapped,
"You could have gotten Fairy Tail disqualified from the Games!" Erza snapped, "Not to mention gotten yourself arrested with all the mayhem you caused!"
"What were you even thinking, Natsu..?!" Lucy growled,
Natsu sweatdropped a little more, his eyes narrowed at the floor as Happy let out a small mew beside him. "Natsu..."
"... I said I was sorry, alright?" Natsu growled lowly, "... I get it, starting a fight was... Dumb.... I was just..... Worked up." Happy's ears fell a little,
"Whatever quarrel you've drummed up with SaberTooth, you cannot act on your frustrations outside of the Games!" Erza hissed, "Fight with them if you must, but do no lose sight of our true objective. We must do well in the Grand Magic Games in order to restore this country's faith in our Guild, and bring ourselves back out of the debt and shadow we have fallen into. If you have issues with SaberTooth, use that as fuel to beat them in the Games, they are likely to be our toughest opponents by far."
"... mm... right..." Natsu mumbled, his shoulders hunching slightly as his eyes dropped closed. Erza let out an agitated sigh and shook her head, turning her back on him as she stalked across to her bed and sat down with a huff. Gray shook his head at him too and walked away as well, Lucy let out a long sigh as her shoulders sagged and Wendy paced toward him a little.
"Uhm... Natsu-san.... you look like you got hit pretty hard." Wendy mumbled, her hands folded together. "Let me heal that, alright...?"
"No." He told her lowly, Wendy flinched a little at the reply, her eyes widening a little as Natsu shook his head at her- his eyes meeting hers for a half a second, before he glanced into his lap. "Sorry, Wendy... just leave it.... I think I deserve this one..." He mumbled,
Wendy, Lucy and Happy all blinked in confusion at the words, and the way in which his voice seemed to drop. He let out a low breath, his eyes trailing outside the window, a frown pulling at his mouth as he swallowed a little.
"....... she was really pissed......but..."
His jaw clenched slightly,
"..... I didn't think she'd..... go that far...... I just....."
He shut his eyes, Happy's eyes glittered as his tail drooped and hit the floor.
"....... I wanted to get through to them...."
.:+:.
She could feel her brother's hand in hers on the bedtop, his fingers locked with his lightly as his breathing deep and slow as he slept on, his head resting in his elbows. Her fever was gone, she could focus on the world around her regardless of how tired she was- and it was utterly, peacefully quiet.
She was peaceful, no fitful dreams, no nightmares.... just warm, quiet bliss.
She hadn't felt any semblance of calm like this in so, so long. She'd almost forgotten what it felt like.
... wait, wasn't I...? I was with...
Hora forced her heavy eyelids open, blinking a few times to get rid of the blurriness in the dim of the room.
..... Rogue.... Wasn't... I....?
She blinked, her eyes opening a little wider as her nose twitched- she could smell him, like night air and deep, damp earth.... But not cold, more warm, with something sweet mixed in.
She glanced up, her eyes trailing toward his face as he lay next to her, his arms wrapped around her shoulders as hers remained wrapped around his torso. The both of them pressed close and together in the bed, his breathing soft and deep and his hair a mess- her cheek resting against his chest as she felt her face grow a little hotter suddenly.
..... What the....? When did we even.... I don't remember getting in bed... Or falling asleep for that matter....
Her eyes flashed as she bit the inside of her cheek,
....... I was crying after I......told him.... But what happened.....?
She swallowed a little, her eyes falling a bit.
...... Did I pass out....?
She shut her eyes, her hold around him getting a little tighter for just half a second- before she pulled them back to herself. She nudged Rogue softly, patting his shoulder lightly and hardly able to pull away with him holding on to her like he was.
..... Its pleasant... This.... I don't think I've slept that well in awhile.... He must have calmed me down enough that I did fall asleep in the end...
"Rogue..." Hora murmured softly, he grumbled, shifting and pulling her closer- though he didn't wake up. Hora bit the inside of her cheek, she hated it but she felt herself blushing- and why not? Neither she nor he had ever even thought about sleeping in the same bed, let alone ever had.... And even if she had gotten into the situation of having to?
They were wrapped up in each others arms..!
'If not for that, however- you might have spent longer breaking down, Horatia.' Lixue intoned lightly, why did he sound amused? She shook the thought off,
".... Rogue.... Please wake up..." Hora murmured, ".... It's almost morning..."
He let out a low, long breath, his eyes fluttering open tiredly as he seemed to be trying to come to terms with what was going on and where he was. His red eyes moved down toward her, still dazed slightly as she held his gaze, her chin resting on his chest as she rolled over slightly.
".... Hora...." He mumbled, blinking again as the drowsiness wore off. "..... Are you alright...?" she blinked at the question, sweatdropping slightly.
".... Yeah.... Sorry... About...." She trailed off, her eyes dropping away from him as she tensed up a little in his hold- he shook his head at her.
"Don't apologize.... You have nothing to apologize for." He sighed, "...... I promise you, you didn't cause me any trouble... I know it can't be easy for you.... Admitting things like that.... Letting yourself be that open, either......"
Hora stiffened, her eyes flashing as the breath caught in her throat at the words. She pulled back from him, forcing his arms to slacken around her body and let go as she sat up all the way, and moved away a bit toward the edge of the bed. She settled into sitting on her heels as he shifted too- pulling himself up so he was sitting cross-legged next to her on the bedtop.
Hora bit the inside of her cheek, her eyes falling on her hands in her lap as Rogue set his eyes on her and seemed to sigh.
"...I'm sorry..... But I see it now, that it's not easy to let anyone else see what's bothering you, Hora.... I'm.... I am sorry for pressing it, last night. I didn't know it would.... Hurt so much....." He apologized softly. Hora's eyes snapped shut as her hands balled up in her lap,
'Hmm.... After so long... You finally told someone.' Lixue's voice was low and slow, cautious almost. '.... Albeit that little bit of secret has been gnawing at you quite a while.... But now the one you told it to is apologizing, instead of scolding you for letting it remain secret so long...... Were I in his situation, I would be chastising you fervently, Horatia.'
Honestly? Had Rogue kept a secret like this so long.... She would be snapping his head off too. The lack of scolding on his part about all of this was.... Surprising. And she hated it, as well as appreciated it.
And he's apologizing... Because it hurt me...? Damn it Rogue...
"... tch... Don't." Hora growled, Rogue blinked in surprise at the sudden order. ".... just..... don't apologize....."
".... Why...?" A sharp shake of her head cut his question off in seconds,
"..... why are you apologizing..?!" She hissed lowly, her eyes flashing as he jumped a little. ".... honestly..?! I've been lying to you for years, and you're apologizing to me...?! I'd be fucking furious with you if you had done what I've been doing!" Her jaw snapped shut as her fists clenched in her lap, growling lowly as his face seemed to soften at the words- rather than stare at her in confusion like she expected.
"I'm not going to scold you, Hora." He told her quietly, she bristled at that.
"And why not?!" she snapped lowly, he sighed.
"Even though you should have told us a long time ago... I understand why you didn't. You had your reasons, Hora..... And you kept it to yourself because you were worried for our safety. And in a way... You were right, not to tell us." he sweatdropped slightly as she blinked in complete surprise. "...... We would have gone after Master straight away, in our anger... Sting especially. Which would end badly, for everyone.... Especially you."
Hora swallowed slightly, her eyes falling into her lap.
"But don't think we're not going to discuss this, Hora. Or do something to help you." his voice hardened a bit and she stiffened. "You can't live with your life in Jiemma's hands, I won't let you. We will find a way to set you free, I swear to you we will. And we'll do it in a way so no one gets hurt."
Her eyes snapped shut against the way her heart seemed to twist into a knot in her chest, her shoulders hunching slightly and hating the way her throat tightened.
"I won't tell Sting, or anyone else until you want me to, Hora." he promised softly, "But can you please explain it to me? How Jiemma ever even managed to... Do that to you, and why...? I want to understand..."
Hora jumped a little, her eyes snapping open as Rogue's hand fell softly on the top of her head.
".... I'm sorry if talking about it hurts more.... But please, Hora. I need to know how it happened if I'm going to help you, alright?"
She didn't think she had ever heard his voice so gentle as that in all her life. If it was possible... It was even more gentle and warm than his voice last night, when he was trying to calm her down.
She tilted her head up to look at him, his hand still on top of her head as he met her eyes easily.
What is that.... That familiar sort of warmth in my core...? It's not.... Fire...
She blinked, swallowing again as she nodded a little, he smiled softly and rubbed her hair a bit. Hora's eyes widened slightly,
..... Why... Why does him doing that make my...?
He pulled his hand away and she shook herself a bit, taking in a deep breath.
"... I joined SaberTooth a year before Jiemma ever came into the picture. When he showed up, he started to fight against the Old Guild Master- trying to impose his own law and code on who was allowed in the Guild, who wasn't.... He took the Guild by force, and he killed the Old Guild Master in a fight for control of the Guild to do it."
Rogue stiffened, his eyes widening in shock and horror at the words- he hadn't ever known how SaberTooth came to be, there was no one in the Guild who had been there since before Jiemma was Master- only Hora.
But he killed the old Guild Master...?!
".... A lot of people bailed after that, and those that stayed they all eventually got thrown out. None of them met his standards for strength... Except for me." She mumbled, unaware of, or ignoring his shock. "..... I made the mistake of trying to stand up to him, but I was so young at the time... Even with my Magic I didn't stand much a chance, he had years of experience on me. But fighting him put me on his radar, my Magic is so rare and powerful- he decided then and there I wouldn't ever leave. I was going to stay under his control in the Guild, and to do that.... He put the Possession Link on the Lacrima inside of me. Used it to keep me from running away, or trying to fight back when I got older, and stronger. Originally it was so he could order me out on high-stakes missions and bring in a bunch of money and reputation... But now its more because he doesn't want to lose being able to keep me prisoner." She shook her head, looking agitated at the memory as her hands linked together tightly in her lap.
".... I don't honestly know how he put the Possession Link there, I just assume it was how you'd normally do it... even if you wouldn't normally put it on something like a Lacrima inside a living person. I just remember him grabbing me one day, and waking up hours later, not able to..... he told me what he'd done, and made it clear I had to listen to him from then on." Hora grumbled, "I've been looking into Possession Links since then, but I have never found any way to break them against the 'Owner's' will. I gave up after awhile...... I just don't know how to take it away." She shook her head slightly, "...... I know a lot about Possession Links because of how much I researched them early on..... but I still haven't found anything that will help me."
Rogue swallowed slightly, sweatdropping as his shoulders stiffened.
".... Jiemma........ he did that to you because he wanted to keep you as his property....? Because.... you were powerful....?" He mumbled, she nodded slightly. "..... but.... if he could force you to stay by putting a Possession Link on a Lacrima inside of you..... Sting and I...."
Hora's eyes snapped up toward him, her eyes flashing as she immediately realized where his thoughts had gone- and not unsurprisingly. It wasn't a stretch to think Jiemma would try and do to him and Sting what he had done to her, but-
"No." Hora told him quickly, Rogue blinked at the sudden firmness of her voice. "He can't do that to you, either of you. I put a Anti-Possession Spell on the both of you the minute I realized you wanted to join SaberTooth. That first day I met you two, that night I put that Spell on you so Jiemma couldn't trap you like he did me." Rogue's jaw dropped slightly as Hora seemed to wilt a little. ".... I found the Spell while I was learning about Possession Links, but I found it after Jiemma had already done it.... the Spell only works to protect you if it's cast before someone tries to place a Possession Link on an object. He can't put one on you, ever... even if it was already too late to help me."
Rogue's eyes glittered, his face pulling into a slightly pained frown as he looked at her.
...... ever since the first day..... she'd been trying to protect them.... and they never....
Hora felt her breath catch in her throat, her eyes going wide as she stared- her eyes flashing as she saw the line of tears suddenly fall from his eyes in silence. She grimaced, her heart fluttering in sudden nervousness as she leaned forward a bit-
"W-wait, why are you crying....?!" She stammered, his shoulders hunched as his eyes dropped away from her and he sucked in a sharp breath of air. He shook his head slightly, his hands moving up to rub at his eyes a little.
"... tch...... I just can't believe you..." He mumbled softly, Hora paused at the words, her head tilting a little. ".... even from that long ago..? You'd hardly known us a day... and the first thing you did was make sure we couldn't end up with Possession Links stuck on us...? You've been looking out for us from the get-go.... and I never realized....." He sniffed slightly, his eyes trailing back up toward her and glittering still as her heart clenched.
"....... you're so kind, and you're always trying to keep us safe...... I don't think I've ever known anyone more loyal than you.. Hora.." He smiled shakily, her jaw dropped slightly as she felt her face heat up out of nowhere. "You're just... you're honestly perfect, Hora..... you're amazing.....!"
She growled, snatching up a pillow from the bed and slamming it into his face, knocking him back against the bed and holding him there- almost smothering him as she felt her face heat up even more. She cringed in the middle of it though, pain racing through her stomach-
WHY?!
"D-Don't say things like that..!" She hissed hotly, he was fidgeting under the pillow and trying to get her to let up, she growled before moving the pillow away, sitting on her heels on the bedtop as she gave him an annoyed glare- he sucked in air the minute he was allowed. "And quit with the crying, will you?! I'm the one who should be crying, not you!" Her jaw snapped shut as her teeth ground down on one another, her face still flushed as he blinked at her- a little confused why she had reacted like that- before he smiled a little.
"... sorry..." He hummed, wiping away what little moisture was left on his face as she huffed. "..... thank you, Hora." She stiffened, her eyes snapping away from him as she bit the inside of her cheek- and promptly hissed when it hurt like a son of a-!
Her hand moved up to press lightly against her left cheek, feeling the heat coming off of it, tender and swollen still from having been hit last night. She'd honestly forgotten it was there,
".... tch.... owww....!" She snapped, Rogue sat up again and leaned in a little.
"... that bruised pretty badly." He murmured softly, ".... you'd probably do well to put some ice on it, Hora." She sighed,
".... if only I could..." She grumbled, he blinked at the words, but didn't linger on them.
"Is your ear still hurting?" He murmured, she shook her head a little.
"... no.... and hopefully it doesn't start up again either." She mumbled, he nodded a bit.
"..... look, I don't know much about Possession Links- but I will help you look into them, and we'll find a way to dispel it, alright?" He told her quietly, she sweatdropped a little.
".... fine, but you need to stay focused on the Games." She told him lowly, he grimaced slightly. "Seriously, Rogue. You can't have your head in the clouds, if we can get through the Games without earning Jiemma or Minerva's wrath again, we need to. We can focus on the Possession Link thing afterward, alright?" He didn't look like he liked the plan, but he nodded anyway.
"... alright. But as soon as the Games are over with-"
"I promise, alright?" She cut him off, he sighed internally. "Now, you need to go back to your own room- before Sting or anyone else wakes up and wonders where the hell you went." She ordered lowly, he nodded a bit and shifted, standing up from the bed as she paused- her nose twitching slightly as she sweatdropped.
".... and change your shirt, you smell like... tears...." She mumbled a bit more lowly, he paused, his own nose twitching slightly before he smiled nervously.
"... that's probably a good idea.." He murmured, walking slowly toward the door before pausing again. Hora blinked at him,
".... but seriously, Hora... thank you." He murmured softly, his head tilting back toward her as his red eyes glittered.
She swallowed a bit at the way her heart jumped, nodding stiffly as she looked away. He blinked a little as he saw her blush, just slightly- and his heart jumped.
".... thank you, for..... staying, Rogue."
.:+:.
"... geez that looks bad..." Sting grumbled lowly, sweatdropping heavily as Hora stopped at his shoulder, her lips pulling into a disgruntled frown as she heard him say the words. The Colosseum was filled to the brim with spectators already, their voices a loud, low drum all around them as the SaberTooth Team (plus Hora, and minus Minerva and Orga at the moment...) stood in the box reserved for their Guild. It was always emptier than many of the other Guilds, since most people in SaberTooth didn't dare stay there lest it make Master mad- but Hora had never really cared, and had always taken up a post there to watch the Games.
The blonde turned toward Hora as she walked in and stopped on his shoulder, his eyes immediately finding the dark bruising spread across her left cheek and jaw- Hora's hands fell on her hips as she let out an annoyed sigh.
"Leave it be, it's not that bad." She grumbled, and though it did throb slightly- it wasn't her cheek that was bothering her now at any rate, it was the noise.
Her ear was ringing slightly at the volume of the crowds alone, and the actual events hadn't even started yet- which meant it was just gonna get worse, and she wasn't looking forward to it.
Sting blinked a little at the answer, sweatdropping slightly as he tilted his head at her. ".... you're in a fine mood this morning.." He mumbled lowly, a vein ticked on her forehead. She shot him a glare and he jumped, smiling slightly as he shook his head. "That's fine, I get it, after what happened yesterday...!"
No, you really don't....
Rogue cast Hora a glance from Sting's other shoulder, sighing silently as Lector and Frosch walked across the stone railing to stand in front of Horatia.
"Are you alright, Hora?" Lector hummed,
"Did you sleep ok, Atia?" Frosch asked, Hora's annoyance faded as she nodded toward the two Exceeds.
"I'm alright, and... yes." She murmured, and hated the way her heart jumped at the end. "Sorry to worry you.... I'm still a bit miffed about what Salamander pulled is all." They nodded,
"It was kinda stupid of him to come rushing in like that." Lector grumbled,
"Fro thinks so too."
"It was ill-advised." Rufus' voice broke into the conversation as the man circled around to land on Hora's other side, she glanced toward him warily.
Right... she hadn't explained any of what happened last night to either him or Orga.
"He was very fervent in his ideals, and he made a few interesting points..." Rufus murmured, nodding toward her slightly as he gave her a sympathetic smile. "Do not worry, Sting explained things to us this morning, Horatia." He added in quietly, Hora blinked in slight surprise as she glanced toward Sting- who nodded too.
... ah, so I don't have to... even if it would have still been a lie anyway.
"Hopefully once the Games conclude we may have time to get back to more important things." Rufus commented, Hora nodded slightly.
... and hope the Games end well....
She saw Rogue nod firmly to the words from the corner of her eye.
"So I see Orga has already headed down.." Hora murmured, changing the subject as her eyes moved ahead and toward the arena below, where she spotted his familiar turquoise hair. She blinked, her eyes narrowing slightly at the other people on the arena floor. "..... with Jura participating too...."
"Alright folks! Let's get our first event of the third day of the Grand Magic Games started!" The announcer came on over the intercom, breaking Hora's words off and earning her eyes falling closed at the way the noise rung on her left ear. "Today's event is sure to be exciting, and we call it; Pandemonium!!"
How appropriate... since my life has been anything but 'ordered' lately...
She hissed under her breath at the loud wash of sheers and yells that swelled up from the crowds,
"As always, we want only one member from each Team participating! So the rest of the Guilds who have yet to send someone, please do so now!"
Hora's eyes opened again to watch the rest of the other participants file in. She recognized Milliana from Mermaid Heel, and Jura of course, though the brunette that walked out for Fairy Tail Team B wasn't someone she knew... and though she wasn't sure, but the other Fairy Tail member had red hair. To take a guess she would say the once upon a time famous Erza Scarlet, though it was only a guess... after all her interest in individual Fairy Tail Members started and ended with Dragon Slayers.
Raven Tail was a mystery to her, but Hibiki from Blue Pegasus was popular enough to recognize too.... and then Novali from Quatro 'Puppy'.
"Hmm, Pandemonium? What an interesting name."
Hora instinctively stiffened at the sound of Minerva's voice behind them, the Lady moving into the box and halting at Rufus' shoulder with a cool, calm little smile as she watched the rest of the Guild participants file out.
"Quite, I'm curious to see what version of 'Pandemonium' they intend to play upon?" Rufus murmured lightly, "Shall it be chaos and panic, or will it allude to a den of monsters like in old tales?" Minerva smirked, her arms crossing about her chest. Hora cast a sideways glance toward the other woman, sweatdropping as she saw the slightly malicious look appear in her eyes.
"Indeed."
Hora's eyes turned upward toward the sky as a massive Magic Circle appeared over the floor of the arena, the air shaking as a... building (?) dropped down from the depths of it, floating mostly in air as one long walkway connected with the ground up to it.
"That thing is huge.." Sting grumbled,
... honestly, who powers the events for this thing..?
"Before you stands a castle filled with vicious monsters!" the voice of the Games pumpkin mascot came into focus, "That's Pandemonium!"
"... den of monsters it is." Rogue mumbled,
"Hmm.... I take it we are to do battle with these monsters?" Jura asked, his voice amplified by the arena. The Pumpkin-Man gave him a thumbs up,
"Correct sir!"
The crowds erupted with a mix of cheers and shocked gasps,
"100 terrifying beasts are lurking within the castle! But don't worry, there is no chance of them escaping and attacking the crowd! They are Magical Projections we created solely for this game!" The Pumpkin went on, "Each Monster is ranked by level of difficulty,and we have five classes! D, C, B, A and S!"
A screen popped up over the arena to show hos many of each class there was;
S x1
A x4
B x15
C x30
D x50
"To give you an example, let's show you how strong a D-Class Monster is!"
Another screen popped up to show a massive, four-legged monster that earned terrified screams from the civilians in the crowd- and more so when it ran forward and decimated a pillar inside of the castle as if it were nothing but paper.
Hora sweatdropped, swallowing hard against the noise and sorely wishing she hadn't shown up to watch the Games today... or at least brought some ear plugs or something.
"The Pandemonium Castle is filled to the brim with these vile creatures! And many more that are far stronger! Pandemonium awaits you!"
Well.... fighting Monsters isn't much of a challenge for Orga, so at least I needn't worry about him too much...
"Monsters of a higher class are two times stronger than the ones beneath them! So if you thought that D-Class guy looked nasty, you'll lose your head when the S-Class one appears! I'm not even sure a Wizard Saint could beat one of those!"
By that logic, the S-Class Monster is 16 times as strong as the lowest level.... wait, a Wizard Saint...? Seriously...?!
I will say it again, who powers the Games? This is overkill..!
"You will all take turns in choosing the number of Monsters you want to fight in each round!" The Pumpkin-man was still going, "We call this the Competitor's 'Right to Challenge'! So for instance, if you say you want to fight three monsters- three monsters will be awaiting you when you enter the Castle! If you successfully vanquish those three creatures, you will earn one point for every monster slain! After that, the next competitor in the rotation will choose what number they wish to face out of the number still left, and we will go from there! The game ends when either all the monsters have been cleared, or all of you run out of Magic Power!"
"But keep in mind, whether you choose to fight five or ten monsters- there is no telling what class of beast you will get! That means you might end up with five D-Class, or a mix of both C-Class and B-Class! All Monsters are chosen at random! And- Points will only be awarded if you defeat all of the monsters you challenged that round!"
...... someone like Hibiki might be able to guess what Monsters will come out and when.... but it matters little if you can't defeat the number you choose...... and it'll be harder against stronger enemies, and the longer the game goes on.... you might also be at a disadvantage if you're low on the line....
Hora grumbled under her breath slightly, as her eyes dropped closed in thought.
..... personally speaking, going up against most of those Monsters probably wouldn't be much of an issue, but multiple rounds means longer using my Magic- and more chance it wears me down. Orga has a lot of power though, and his stamina is pretty good too- if he keeps up with challenging about 6-10 Monsters a round he should do pretty well...
"Now! In order to determine who goes when, I would like you all to draw straws!"
Hora's eyes opened to watch the competitors pick straws, as their order appeared on the screens with their names and Guild affiliation hanging over the arena.
.... and Erza goes first....
"Ah, lucky! I bet being first means you get the most amount of turns," 'Cana' had walked up to the redhead. "Meanwhile I'm stuck in last, hehe.."
".... interesting.... I had assumed victory in this event relied entirely on the luck of the draw." Erza murmured, her voice was a little harder to hear but with the Magic-Amplification of voices Hora still caught the words- and agreed.
If you go last and a bunch of people whittle down the rank of monsters ahead of you, the probability of going against weaker monsters gets thinner, and there's also less points to snatch-
"Oh it's really much more than that! You have to consider pacing your opponents strength, the likelihood of getting a really nasty monster- the list goes on and on! It is quite a complex game if you think about it~" The Pumpkin-man intoned, Hora agreed again.
"No," Hora blinked at the reply from the redhead, her eyes narrowing as she saw her... she's smiling?
"In fact, this is no longer even a Game." Erza hummed, walking forward toward the ramp up to the castle as Hora sweatdropped.
No longer a game...?
She stopped, her smile fading as sheer determination appeared on her face- Hora leaned in a little, her hands falling on the stone railing.
"Inside this castle, with 100 Monsters- I choose to challenge;"
What is she...?
"All of them."
"HUH?!"
"SAY WHAT!?!"
Hora felt her jaw drop slightly, her heart jumping as she blinked several times in disbelief- what?!
"Tell me my ear is ringing so much I heard that wrong..?" She mumbled lowly, everyone else in the box around her and in the whole of the arena were all as shocked as she was.
"... she said... she's really going to challenge all one hundred..?!" Sting hissed,
You're joking..?!
"U-uh, you don't really mean that do you..?! We designed this event to be completed by multiple wizards..!" The Pumpkin-man was struggling for words, Erza simply glanced toward him.
"I don't care." She muttered, before turning her back on him and starting toward the ramp.
Hora closed her mouth, her eyes glittering as she blinked a few times.
I mean... she was pretty famous seven years ago... but 100? Does she seriously think she can take on all of them...? I wouldn't try that in a million freakin' years....
Her thoughts got snapped apart when the noise from the crowds increased about tenfold, many of them cheering, others just yelling out their disbelief- she shut her eyes against it and took a tiny step back from the railing, hoping maybe the stone confines of the room might block out a bit of the noise (but of course it wouldn't...).
Sting and Rufus both cast quick glances toward Hora as she moved, their eyes narrowing slightly when they saw the discomfort appear on her face.
Erza moved inside the castle as her visage appeared on screens all around, her expression nothing but calm as she waited for the beasts to appear- and gave them no time to move until she was suddenly battling, swords dancing all around and cutting down foes in record time.
"Holy cow! Erza Scarlet wastes no time! It is raining destruction inside the Castle as she immediately jumps into contending with her foes!" Hora cracked an eye open to glance up at the screens, her arms crossing about her chest as she tucked her elbow in her hand and held the other lightly against the side of her head and over her ear to try and block out a bit more of the noise- it helped, a little.
Holy.... She's amazing... How many has she taken down, and it's only been five minutes..?!
She could tell Sting, Rogue, Lector and Frosch were just as incredulous as she was- and a glance as Rufus, she saw his eyes riveted on the fight too.
Minerva's face was nothing but cold and calculating though, she was taking in every move, every change of armor, every swing of a sword- and she looked displeased, as well as intrigued all at once. Hora's eyes narrowed slightly, her stomach clenching.
She glanced back up toward the screen posting the Monster numbers
S x1
A x4
B x15
C x30
D x33
Damn
Hora watched in intrigue as her armor shifted, shinning black with wings on the back- and her hits against the monsters seemed to nearly double in strength- the D-Class Monsters dropped again to 27 in one swipe.
The screen lit up in bright orange and red as a Monsters hot flames from it's mouth and toward the redhead- the screens lost sight of her for a few moments, Hora blinked as she came back into view.
That's another armor.... it looks like it deflected and guarded her against getting burned....
Erza's hand swung forward, a sword with it as the next wall of flames perished in a wave of steam.
.... water Magic on the sword... to kill the fire....
Hora's blue eyes narrowed a bit,
.... that first hit.... was she testing out the weaknesses of the Monsters? And acted to change her armor and weapons accordingly? I mean.... 'Titania Erza' was a pretty big name among female Wizards seven years ago, but this is the first time I'm seeing her in action....
More monsters fell as the score board changed again;
S x1
A x4
B x15
C x25
D x27
Hora could use Requip as most other Wizards could- to store small items and clothes, but hardly ever anything really powerful, nor altogether Magical. This 'Knight' version of the Magic was... incredible.
"That's five C-Class down in near seconds!!" The Announcer roared.
The sides of the castle imploded outward by blasts of Magic as Erza Requiped a second sword into her hand, cutting straight through another slew of D-Class beasts. The screens honed in on Erza again as the blasts subsided, and Hora sweatdropped a little.
She looks like she got hit a few times there...
A massive beast of a blue color appeared on the scene, of the likes that hadn't been seen yet- which meant it was a different class of monster.
The beast threw a torrent of water out toward the redhead- who jumped to avoid it and Requiped again into something different, her weapon changed too as lightning arced across the screen.
.... she changed her weapon and armor type based on the different type of monster, and did in in a single second.... talk about quick thinking..
Hora stiffened slightly as Erza got thrown into a wall hard enough to cave it in, her own body aching slightly at the sight- before Erza was gone from sight again, and came back a few seconds later in a different armor and wielding a massive black sword.... a line of monsters behind her imploded as if they got sliced- wait, did she move that fast?!
S x1
A x4
B x10
C x15
D x18
This woman....
"What raw Power! 50 Monsters have already fallen!"
"This is insane..."
"Her fighting style is quite efficient."
"Are you kidding? You're impressed by this? She looks ready to keel over."
"The fighting seems to have taken a toll on Miss Scarlet!" The Announcer called into the mic,
....... in a world where Holder Magics like hers are usually held in lower regard than Caster Magics.... she's incredible...
"Go get 'um Erza!!! Show 'um what ya got!!"
Hora felt her heart skip a beat in surprise as her ears caught the familiar voice of Natsu from across the Arena, she couldn't see him from their box but she did hear him- and she blinked.
..... damn it.... now I want to root for Fairy Tail too....
The Castle walls all over its face continued to blow outward as Erza dodged about the confines, slaying Monsters wherever she went, constantly Requiping in the process- as the number of Monsters left dwindled steadily. The crowds and Guilds alike were watching in awed silence, hardly believing their eyes- and why not?
Fairy Tail had been low of the low for years, they were the weakest around and this...
"Amazing! Despite her injuries, Miss Scarlet continues to stand her ground!" The Announcer called, the image of Erza stalling as the redhead came to a small pause, facing something red and large- and terrifying, if truth be told.
"But how will she fair against her next opponent?! An A-Class!!"
The Monster's fist swung forward toward Erza and she was lost sight to the cloud of dust that rose up around it, the hit was heavy enough to shake the Castle- but even with the way Hora's ear was ringing, she also heard the unmistakable sound of metal ringing too.
The dust cleared as the Monster's arm crumbled away from the backlash of hitting it's fist against a giant shield that Erza held steadily before her, unfazed almost.
"She blocked that?!"
"So cool!"
"No way!!"
The crowds were getting into it, and so were the other Guilds. Hora bit down on the inside of her cheek regardless of the pain that came with it- just to make sure she didn't outwardly react to it, in case Minerva saw it.
Erza was running through like a train, throwing Monsters around, slicing through them- hammering them, blasting them with Magic- she was like a whirlwind of sheer power and destruction, and yet she was so freaking refined and precise-! Monsters were dropping like flies and she felt the fire in her soul burn brighter from just watching.
Fairy Tail..... this woman... Natsu... Lucy....... Fairy Tail used to be the best... everyone's forgotten... and I guess I did too....
Her eyes flashed,
"Titania cannot be stopped folks! The Monsters just cannot keep up with her, even as the most vicious Monsters fall before her! She's taken so many hits and used up a ton of Magic Power, but she still keeps going!! Only four Monsters remain!!"
S x1
A x1
B x2
C x0
D x0
A bridge spanning the outside of the Castle shattered as Erza sliced clean through an A-Class Monster with the utmost calm, her feet launching her into the air as she cut apart the two B-Class Monsters in seconds.
..... geez..... I'm totally starting to fangirl here...! She's amazing, maybe even better than Min-
Hora paused, her excitement faltering as the thought occurred to her.
.. could she...?
"99 Monsters dead and only the S-Class remains!"
Hora's eyes narrowed again as she saw Erza halt, her eyes locking on to the last monster... it was small?
"Don't say I didn't warn you!" The Pumpkin-man intoned out of nowhere, "The S-Class Monster was designed to become three times stronger if it was the last monster left in the game! You may have had a chance before, but not anymore!"
Hora felt her skin crawl at the sudden pressure that ignited on the air, the S-Class Monster tripling in size- and it's fight against Erza igniting in seconds. She remained in rigid silence, her eyes never leaving the screens as the fight went on-
"Pandemonium has become a 1 on 1 battle, and moved to the top of the Castle- where Erza is not overwhelmed by the massive S-Class Beast!"
"This is bad..."
"I don't think she's gonna be able to beat it..!"
"Come on Erza! That big old hunk of tin's got nothing on you!" Natsu's cheer broke in among the doubting crowds again and Hora's lips twitched ever so slightly at the corners.
In a flash of glittering light that bounced off cold steel, Erza got up and cut the Beast's fingers clean off- her body launching into the air over top of it and such ferocity in her eyes it was like an inferno.
The crowds were booming, but Hora didn't care that the noise sent a sharp stab of pain through her head.
Her swords cut clear down through the Monster's head, it disappeared in a haze of fractured life as Erza halted, bloody and beaten- but she raised her sword high above her head and the crowds lost it.
Hora swallowed back at the energy that rose in her core, doing her absolute best to keep her face neutral- her body still.... but on the inside, it was like her soul was raging.
That was...
"INCREDIBLE!!!" The Announcer yelled, his voice almost lost to the crowds and stands. "ERZA SCARLET HAS SINGLE-HANDEDLY DEFEATED ALL 100 MONSTERS! FAIRY TAIL TEAM A HAS SWEEPED TODAY'S FIRST EVENT IN AN ABSOLUTE, UNDISPUTED, VICTORY!!!!"
..... Oh my god.... Lixue...?! You don't have anything to say about that?! That was freaking awesome!!
'...... you want my commentary now?' He sighed, though he sounded amused. 'You're very excited about this, Horatia... but should you really be rooting for the other team?'
"Let it be known that we have just witnessed the making of History!! The Strongest Guild from seven years ago has returned from the grave!!!"
.... oh shut up! You can't witness something like that and not be excited! I remember Fairy Tail being the strongest Guild! I wanted to join them before going to SaberTooth, and to see this?! After seven years of being called the weakest..?!
Hora paused, her eyes falling slightly as the crowds roared their approval and praise- those same people that booed and heckled Fairy Tail, put them down, wrote them off. Knowing that the people who got left behind had suffered under ridicule as well as the pain of losing half their Guild- not just their Guild, their friends and their Family...
.... I'm happy for them, really. Happy to see that they... they're still the same Guild after seven years trapped in a Spell, and the world is now seeing that Fairy Tail is still one hell of a Guild.... Damn it, I'm happy for them, is that a crime?
'No, it is no crime.' Lixue murmured softly, 'But curb your reaction, lest it end you in trouble, hmm?'
He was right, of course.... but that didn't make the warmth in her soul any less dull.
She let out a sigh and turned away from the Arena, grumbling under her breath at the constant high, ringing pounding her eardrum. Rogue noticed her move away, snapped from his rigid silence that Sting, Lector and Frosch seemed to be in. He moved after Hora as she paused at the doorway to the box, grumbling under her breath as his eyes flashed at the pain etched into her face.
".... is your ear hurting you?" He murmured lowly, his eyes casting back toward Minerva- but SaberTooth's Lady was too busy watching the scene below with a wickedly amused smile.
"...mm... yeah... it's really freaking loud.." Hora grumbled, Rogue sweatdropped at the answer. She smiled faintly though, earning a blink of surprise from him. "Loud for good reason though, that was quite the show.." She added lightly, the sound of Erza's name being chanted filled the Arena as he sighed a little.
".... right."
"The booing that greeted Fairy Tail on Day One seems like a distant memory now! There is nothing but love here in Crocus now!" The Announcer hummed,
"Anyone would go gaga after that!"
"I must admit it was incredibly inspiring."
"What..?! They think that chick was good? Orga would have wiped out all those monsters in ten seconds!" Lector grumbled, though he looked a little stricken regardless.
"Her outfits looked pretty awesome though.." Frosch mumbled,
"Hmm.. how interesting." Minerva smirked, Hora glanced sideways toward the woman and Rogue did too. "Perhaps these Fairies aren't all talk and no action, I must say I'm impressed.." Hora sweatdropped slightly at the words,
... of course now that means Erza is on Minerva's radar...
Hora hissed, her head was starting to pound with the ringing in her ear and Rogue stiffened a little at the show of pain.
"Hora..." He mumbled,
"... I'm gonna go find some earplugs... or something." Hora grumbled lowly, ".... I wanna watch the Games... but this is going to be way too annoying if I can't handle the noise... I'll be back in a little, alright?" He nodded slightly,
"... hurry back." He murmured, she nodded back and left the box with one last cautious glance toward Minerva- but she was still too concerned with the event.. thankfully.
It got less loud and more manageable as she headed away, her feet taking her through the hallways and out toward the entrances to the Colosseum, the crowds were still lumbering about and filing in- people stopped and staring at the screens set up when they weren't trying to find seats.
She was moving in between the crowds, brushing passed people who gave her little mind an steadily heading towards the exit.
.... Where am I gonna find ear plugs....? I don't really wanna go all the way back into the city... But... Its not like I have a choice.... But are any of the stores actually gonna be open...?
She brushed passed someone in a black cloak, their hood up to cover their face and alone- she payed little mind to it before halting a few seconds later when she caught a whiff of their scent.
She glanced over her shoulder to catch a glance of them again, but they were gone already..... What the hell? I swear that scent... It smelled like Lucy....?
"Horatia..?"
Her heart jumped a little at the sound of her name, turning quickly toward it as her eyes landed on someone in Rune Knight Robes-
"... Ira." She murmured, her eyes flashing as the younger boy smiled warmly at her, before his eyes widened when he noticed the bruising along her cheek and jaw.
"Wha..?! What happened..?!" He asked quickly, clearing what little distance had been left between them and his eyes moving over every inch of her. "Are you alright?! I've been worried since you demanded Doranbolt take you back last night! What happened..?!"
She sweatdropped, her eyes flashing as she noticed people begin to glance over in interest to the quickly asked questions from the young Knight.
"... Ah... How about we head this way, ok..?" Hora mumbled quickly, her head tilting toward one of the side hallways that rarely got used since it was meant to head under the Colosseum and not to the stands. Ira blinked at her, but nodded anyway and followed her closely as she lead the way toward it and left the crowds behind.
She and Ira disappeared down the passage, unawares of the eyes watching them go across the small room. The figure with the black cloak, silent and unmovable- their eyes locked to Hora's back and countenance rigid.
A few glittering drops of moisture fell passed the lip of the hood and splashed across the floor, their hands held tightly against their chest as they let out a shaky hiss.
"... Hora..... I never got to..... before..."
.:+:.
".... Hora, are you alright?" Ira murmured as they slowed to a halt in the corridor once it widened, the noise was nothing but a dulled and dim rumbling overhead- it was lovely.
"You're stomach is still healing, right? And what happened with your cheek..?" He asked quickly, his eyes glittering as Hora turned to him and smiled slightly.
"... Uhm... I kinda got in a fight." She mumbled, he bristled at the words. "I'm sorry if I worried you when I ran off yesterday.... but something happened at my Guild and I got worked up pretty fast."
"There was reports of the Inn SaberTooth is staying at getting attacked last night," Ira murmured, "Is that where you got that? Who did it? Who attacked the Inn?"
She sweatdropped, her eyes flashing as she looked away for a minute. She couldn't tell him that Jiemma was the reason for the way her cheek looked, but it wouldn't be fair to say it was Natsu's fault.... even though it really was, but the hotheaded Salamander hadn't come in looking to get her hurt she was sure.
"Uh... yeah, there was a little fight with someone from Fairy Tail. But don't worry about it, he's got one of these too so we're kinda even." Hora murmured, Ira frowned a little.
".... are you sure you're ok?" He asked, she nodded.
"Yeah, I'm fine... I was just leaving for a bit to find some earplugs or something.." She mumbled, his head tilted in question and she sighed. ".... My ear is ringing pretty bad, the thing I got hit with was really loud, and since my ears are sensitive.... it's unpleasant being in the Colosseum with all the noise."
"Oh, I can help you with that...!" He smiled slightly, his hands lifting as a small Magic Circle appeared in air before him and he stuck his hand through the middle. He dug around a few moments, before he pulled his hand back out and two earplugs rest in his palms, smiling a bit more toward her as she blinked.
She held her own hand out and he dropped them into her palm with ease, Hora nodded a bit and gave him a small smile- her hands moving up as she put them in (a bit painfully in the one ear, mind you....), the noise dying down to a low rumble, but her ears were good enough to still hear things even with them in. It was just more bearable now, and she sighed.
".... ah, thank you...." She sighed, her eyes dropping closed as she rubbed the back of her neck. "... this will help....... it was honestly pretty awful before...." Ira nodded a bit,
"It was pretty noisy." He hummed, she nodded. "Glad I could help."
".... I'm not in trouble for running off last night, am I?" Hora asked, a little nervously now as Ira smiled in amusement. "I mean I filled everything out, the paperwork was just being approved right...?"
"Yes, Doranbolt was none too pleased about it- but he didn't complain much either. And Lahar wasn't mad either, the Council had nothing else to go over and they cleared you to leave this morning.... we didn't tell them you'd already left though." Ira explained, Hora let out a small breath.
"Thanks..."
"Are you sure you're okay? You looked pretty worked up..." Ira murmured, Hora nodded again.
"Yes, things just got really complicated out of nowhere... I'm sorting it out, but it's not that bad."
Well... it kind of was, but.....
"Alright, after much deliberation we have decided that we need a way to rank the other Guilds- so we're gonna hold another Contest!"
Ira and Hora went quiet as the sound of the Pumpkin Man's voice made it's way to the forefront of their attention, both their eyes turning up toward the ceiling as they listened in.
"This game might be a little on the boring side compared to Pandemonium, but I think it will suffice. This is a Magic Power Finder, or MPF for short- it measures the output of a Wizards's Magic Power when you cast a Spell on it, and will display your score in numerical form! We'll use this number to decide the rankings for the remaining teams~!" The Announcer's voice came through clear and loud even despite the overhead, "Since you all drew straws earlier, we'll just continue in that order!"
Then it's Millianna's turn...
"Millianna scores 365!" The Announcer called, Ira jumped and Hora blinked at him.
"That's impressive!" Ira breathed, his eyes shinning- he caught Hora's tilted head and smiled. "Ahhh, you've never used an MPF right?" He asked, Hora shook her head.
"-perhaps I can elaborate, we Rune Knights use MPF quite frequently in training." Ira got cut off by the sound of Lahar's voice over the loudspeakers, the young boy smiling in slight embarrassment as he gestured up to the ceiling and decided to let Lahar do the explaining-
"With that score she would have made Squad Captain." Lahar hummed,
"Ah, so Millianna kicks the game off with an impressive score!"
"Ah, alright...." Hora murmured, nodding a bit as Ira did the same.
"I've never seen anyone pass the 500 mark before, but that being said most Rune Knights don't really focus on overwhelming Magical Power." Ira explained, chuckling a bit. "I bet you'd pass the 1000 mark no problem though, Hora." Hora smiled a bit in embarrassment,
"... heh... maybe.... I'll have to test one of these MPF things out sometime if I get the chance." Hora murmured, rubbing the back of her neck a little. "Though I really doubt I'd do all that well if I was the one in the competition right now.... Jura is playing after all." Ira's eyes widened, sweatdropping.
"I totally forgot about him!" He breathed, "I bet you he's gonna score some insanely high number..... we've never had a Wizard Saint try an MPF before!"
"Nobali with Quatro Puppy scores a... 124!" The Announcer broke in, "A bit on the low side wouldn't you say?"
"Hibiki of Blue Pegasus scores a measly 95..!" Hora and Ira smiled slightly, looking exasperated- and sympathetic.
That's.... maybe not a surprise....
"Next up is Obra from Raven Tail!" Hora's head tilted back, her eyes locked on the ceiling overhead and her hands falling on her hips.
Wasn't Raven Tail supposed to be having some kind of a beef with Fairy Tail....?
She blinked, her head tilting slightly.
...... come to think of it.... we're right under where Fairy Tail's Box should be, right...?
"He's the one." Hora blinked at the low growl, much quieter than the Announcer..... almost too quiet to hear, but she heard the venom in the tone.
"That scoundrel." And another she didn't know....
"The one who attacked Wendy and Carla."
Hora stiffened slightly, sweatdropping as her eyes flashed- she did recognize that one, it was Happy.... wait, what did he say? Attacked Wendy and Carla....?!
"Obra clocks in at..... 4 points...?"
Four...?!
That was incredibly low, way too low- especially for the person who could have drained Wendy and Carla's power like it had been..... Hora's eyes narrowed a bit, her jaw clenching slightly.
Now that cannot be right
"That's...... how does a Wizard in a Wizard's Guild score that low?" Ira mumbled uncertainly. He glanced toward Hora and blinked when he saw the small frown on her face,
"Millianna of Mermaid Heel is currently in the lead!"
"MISSSSSSS HORAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
Her frown broke apart as both she and Ira jumped, eyes flashing and sweatdropping heavily at the loud call from further up the hall- Hora turned toward it and blinked several times.
That sounds like-
She recoiled, her eyes going wide as she caught sight of the blur of red and orange that was getting really, really close-!
She got slammed into hard enough to make her fall back onto her back, her head banging against the floor with an agonizing thud and agony searing straight through her stomach- a vein ticked on her forehead as she let out a none-too-pleased hiss. Ira jumped out of his skin, eyes whited out and shaking from head to foot at what happened- his eyes landing on the bundle of embers and flame that was currently on top of Hora and completely knocked out- a letter fell to the floor beside her.
"H-Hora...?!" Ira stammered,
"Tch...... Drille!!" Hora snapped, sitting straight up and snatching the Paper Firebird up in her hands, her face dark and her fangs grinding down on one another as she glared at the creature. "What the hell?! You don't go around knocking people over like that!! What the hell has got you rushing around like that?!"
"I've been trying to find you in this labyrinth of a Colosseum for AGES!" Drille snapped back hotly, "I have a letter for you from Miss Yukino!" Hora stiffened, her anger washing away from her face in an instant, but the little bird was fluffing up in agitation and..... was that panic?
"PLUS I SAW SOME WEIRD, CRAZY, SCARY GUY WHO LOOKED LIKE MISTER ROGUE!! HE HAD WHITE AND BLACK HAIR, AND I KNOW HE DOESN'T HAVE HAIR LIKE THAT BUT I SWEAR!! THEY COULD BE LIKE TWIIIIINNNSSS!!! IT TOTALLY FREAKED ME OUT, MISS!!!" Drille squawked, his wings flapping up and down feverishly even as Hora held him, bits and pieces of ember showering her lap and the floor as she blinked, confused as can be now-
"HE WAS SUPER SCARY LOOKING! WHEN HE LOOKED AT ME I SWEAR I WAS GONNA HAVE A HEARTATTACK! I FLEW AWAY AS FAST AS I COULD!!"
"And the crowds go wild, SaberTooth's Orga gets a whopping 3825!!"
Ira's head snapped around toward the announcement, his attention diverting as his jaw nearly hit the floor.
"W-What?!" Ira stammered, Hora didn't really pay attention- her eyes were narrowed and fixed on the very panicked bird as her mind struggled to process what he was saying.
What does he mean..... a scary looking Rouge...?
'This creature looks petrified..... who did he see?' Lixue mumbled, 'It surely could not have been your friend after all, but someone similar looking.... but this reaction is odd.'
"Wait a minute, calm down, tell me again?" Hora mumbled, her eyes flashing. "You saw someone who looked like Rogue... but with white and black hair?"
"Y-yes!"
"..... and you're scared of this guy? Why? What about him freaked you out?" Hora pressed, Drille shuddered in her hold and she blinked.
"I.. I don't know Miss! It was just.... the way he looked at me, his eyes... they were so cold!" Drille stammered, "Everything about him was just so..... d-dark...! When he looked at me..... it was like he...... he looked angry..... so much rage out of n-nowhere..!"
Hora felt her heart skip a beat, a small icy flash running through her veins- and she wasn't sure why.
'...... hmm...' Lixue hummed, she swore there was something more than musing behind his tone.
".... where?" Hora asked slowly,
"J-just outside the Colosseum Miss!" Drille replied shakily, Hora swallowed a little, nodding slightly.
.... I'll have to take a quick look in a bit....
".... alright, look- I'm sure it was scary, but you don't need to worry about it. I'm sure it was just a coincidence." Hora assured the small bird, who nodded slightly. "Was Yukino okay when you saw her?"
"Yes Miss! She had important things to tell you, in her letter~!"
Hora nodded a bit and let Drille go, the bird fluttering in air with ease as her hand moved to pick up the letter that had fallen to the floor.
Her hand paused though, her back growing stiff as she felt the floor, the air.... everything start to shake.
"What the hell..?"
"J-Jura is up..." Ira explained in a hushed voice, Hora sweatdropped.
Right....
She sat stiff as a board, everything around them rattling and shaking- like some sort of earthquake. There was an incredible boom-
"Jura takes a whopping 8544! That is mind-boggling!!"
Hora blinked, sweatdropping a bit more as she sighed- Ira looked ready to fall over, he was.... well, speechless.
That would be a Wizard Saint for you....
"I knew he was strong but yowza! He may be on the same level as Gildarts..." This voice she heard from overhead and recognized as the Old Man... the Fairy Tail Guild Master.
There was a small, young chuckle that sounded afterward and Hora's eyes flashed gold for a small second,
"True, but let's not forget that someone down there has Gildarts' blood running through their veins." Hora sweatdropped a little, she hadn't a clue who the hell Gildarts was, but that voice?
..... the ghost girl.....
Hora stiffened, grimacing to herself when she realized- she was eavesdropping.
"Next up! Fairy Tail Team B's Cana Alberona!"
She shook her head at herself and opened the letter, her blue eyes trailing over the words quickly as her eyes went wide-
".... Yukino joined the King's Army...?!" Hora snapped, Drille jumped at the words, nodding a bit. She looked up at the bird, "Why?!"
"I don't know!" Drille stammered, "Does it not say in the letter...?"
Hora hissed, her eyes snapping back down to said letter and sweatdropping.
'...... there is an important project, and they need my help for it....'
".... no, it's no specific at all...." Hora growled, her hold on the paper getting firmer as her head snapped up toward Ira. "Oi! I need a pen and paper!" She ordered quickly of the Young Rune Knight, who jumped a little but twirled his finger and produced said materials with no argument.
".... why is she stripping..?!"
"Huh?!"
"That's..!"
"I know that emblem..."
Hora grabbed the pen and paper from Ira quickly, only to have her plans stall again when she heard the incredulous murmurs from overhead.
".. uh.... First Master..?" The Old Man asked softly,
"Hmm, I lent it to her for this special occasion." The ghost of Fairy Tail's First Master said brightly, "Now she's sure to win!"
She sounds awful pleased...... but what do you mean sure to win....?
'You are eavesdropping again.' Lixue commented, she told him to hush.
Hora blinked, her skin suddenly crawling as Magic Pressure ignited on the air..... even more potent than when Jura had made the earth rumble....?
What is.... she doing...?
"It's time to assemble, oh bringer of light that's guided by Fairies!!"
"Wielding that Spell is not easy. It takes incredible concentration and power, and Cana has both. I know she won't fail this."
"Shine your light! So that I may vanquish the fangs of evil!"
Hora's nose twitched, she could literally smell Magic on the air.
Hold on... this is massive....
"Fairy Glitter!!!"
Hora jumped, the earth shaking with a violent passion and the underground hallways groaning under what insane force had suddenly slammed into the arena floor- Ira struggled to stay on his feet from the sudden movement.
Holy...
"OH MY GOODNESS I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!! THE MPF IS COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND THE SCORE HAS TOPPED OUT AT 9999!!!!!!!"
"WHAT???!?!?!?!?" Ira squeaked,
"IS THIS FAIRY TAIL'S TRUE POWER?! THEY ARE TAKING TODAY'S GAMES BY STORM!!"
"There ain't no stopping us now! We're only just starting to rock your world, Fairy Tail will be Number One again!!"
The crowds were roaring again, loud enough the noise broke passed the earplugs and made her head hurt- just a little.
Hora's hands fell into her lap with the pen and paper, her eyes finding the floor as he sweatdropped, smiling slightly.
I bet that was a sight to see.... just based on what it felt like.....
'Fairy Tail is turning out to be a force to be reckoned with, hmm?' Lixue hummed,
Hora's eyes fell closed, her shoulders hunching slightly.
It was a nice feeling, their repute being heightened again, hearing the cheers and the praises..... but it was going to be bad news for SaberTooth if they kept this pace up.
And that meant they were under the wrath and scrutiny of Jiemma and Minerva even more so now.... damn it.
Why can't I just be happy, without having to worry about us...?
Her eyes opened again as she set into writing the letter in silence, ignoring of Drille and Ira in their astonishment around her- and the noise in the Arena too.
Her thoughts rounded back to what Drille said, and she shivered involuntarily- and she didn't know why...... for some reason his words made her feel uneasy, out of nowhere.
"We are halfway through the Third Day of the Grand Magic Games! Let's look at the standings- in first place we have Raven Tail! And holding on to second place, Lamia Scale!"
Hora's pen drawing across the paper failed as she folded it up and held it up for Drille to take, who plucked it from her hand lightly.
"Dropping down to third is the SaberTooth Guild! And then in fourth, we have Mermaid Heel!"
Jiemma will not be pleased......
"I will take this to Miss Yukino right away!" Drille chirped, Hora nodded.
"Be careful."
The small Firebird zoomed off in the next instant and Hora let out a silent sigh,
"In fifth place, we have Fairy Tail Team A! And trailing after them, is Fairy Tail Team B! They are followed by Blue Pegasus, and then Quatro Puppy!"
"Let's do away with the pleasantries and shake up that score board with some one on one battles!"
Hora blinked, glancing up as Ira's hand extended out to her, the younger boy smiling slightly. "Let me help you up." He murmured, she smiled a bit and nodded, taking his hand as he pulled her up and she dusted off her clothes- and winced when her hand brushed over her stomach to earn a sharp stab of pain.
"Are you alright?" Ira asked, she nodded.
"Yeah, just a little annoyed..." Hora grumbled,
"Your bird seemed awfully freaked out..."
"I know...... I'm going to head out to the outside of the Arena and see if I can find who he was talking about, before heading back up to my Guild." Hora explained, Ira nodded slightly. "Thank you again, for the earplugs- they are helping a ton."
"You're welcome~!" He smiled brightly, "I hope to see you again sometime, alright? I should probably go now too, I'm sure Doranbolt is looking for me.... and I shouldn't make him angry if I can help it, hehe..."
"Tell him to lighten up, from me." Hora smirked, he sighed.
"Yeah... I don't really wanna lose my job so I don't think I will...." Ira sighed in slight exasperation,
"If he fires you, he'll have me to answer to." Hora grumbled, his eyes flashed at that, laughing.
"You two really do fight like a married couple ya know-"
"Oi!" Hora snapped, her hand bonking the top of his head lightly, he only laughed some more.
Hora smirked slightly at the sound, shaking her head but otherwise leaving it be- it was a welcome change, the sudden lightness and mirth... things were so tense and she had o watch herself up in the Saber Box.......
"I.. I don't know Miss! It was just.... the way he looked at me, his eyes... they were so cold! Everything about him was just so..... d-dark...! When he looked at me..... it was like he...... he looked angry..... so much rage out of n-nowhere..!"
A chill ran down her spine again, and she swallowed at it.
Something's not right about that... but what..?
.:+:.
HEY! I'm not dead, this story ain't either!
I hope you enjoyed the Chapter! Things are going to keep getting weirder/crazier from here! XD
Thank you all for continuing to read!
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