One week before The Grand Magic Games began and we were out in the mountains for training. Master Jiemma had given everyone strict orders to train since we he had not given the announcement on the five memebers participants.
So here we are in the forest, getting ready for all allowed magic race. It would start from the edge of the forest to the top of the highest mountain. The exceeds were already there waiting for us. I started stretching my shoulders and my legs. I had changed out of my normal day wear to something more sporty. A neon green and hot pink vest, with a black shirt that hugged my biceps. I was wearing pale green shorts and a pair of sneakers.
Sting was stretching a few feet away from me and proceeded to talk to Rogue. I looked out into the forest, to the highest mountain, whose peak was covered by the orange and red clouds. It was still dark, almost sunrise hour. I could still see some stars and my thoughts were then in engulfed thoughts.
"Stand straight, Ruka or you won't be able to produce anything at all".
"Remember when competing, play by the rules, be smart".
"Don't cheat, cheating is selling your soul...but..if you really need to cheat, just cheat but don't get caught".
"Why are you crying, my Ruka doesn't cry".
"Look out into the distance, Ruka, those clouds you see one day will belong to you".
"You are Ruka Dragneel, wake up child, you need to wake up, don't let your power interfere with your success".
"I'm sorry...mom..I d-didn't mean an-any..of these..I-I don-..I-didn't want to...k-kill you..."
"You didn't kill me, I caused this upon myself, I shouldn't have forced you this much...I just wanted you to become strong".
"Look out into the clouds Ruka, do you see the colors? As long as you see them, I'll be there and in your heart."
"Hey Ruka, you okay?".
I closed my eyes and shook my head. I blinked a couple times after opening them to see Sting there. "Yeah, perfectly fine." "Come one we're starting".
I followed him to where Rogue was and we stood in a straight line.
"On your marks..."
I got into a running position.
"Get set.."
I blended my knees a bit and leaned forward.
"GO!".
I ran off with my dragon slayer speed and along the way kept a close eye on any white or black attacks. I jumped onto a tree and ran through the branches, the leaves covering my figure. I stopped for a bit to be able to hear any footsteps and sure enough I heard some. Perhaps a mile away. "Milky Way.." I murmured. I ran off again and starting to set up more. "RUKA!". I laughed, hearing Rogue's angered voice. I jumped off the branch but quickly ducked as a figure came toward some me.
I dodged the punches and kicks from my attacker. I did a roundhouse kick and pushed the attacker into a tree. It was none other than Sting. "Kiss for the pain?" he asked. I laughed and shook my head teasingly. "You wish". A grabbed his collared shirt and threw him away from me. He rolled down the edge of the hill and I heard a couple grunts when he stopped. "Sorry...not sorry!" I shouted. I ran off again and everything seemed to start going in slow motion. My hair slowly starting flowing in front of my face and that's when I saw it.
A glimpse of of three white objects. Voices were heard, that was impossible, these parts of mountains belonged to Sabertooth's many training spots. I stopped and headed towards the spot. I came to the edge of the waterfall falling nearby. My heart stopped. It couldn't be, why would they be here. Because standing below me were the Straus siblings. I shook my head hoping it was just my head playing tricks on me and that it was just a coincidence that they had white hair. I stepped back causing stones to fall from the edge.
I ducked down to avoid being seen. "Whose there?". I held my breath, it was definitely them. But I wouldn't just run away, just like when I meet other Fairy Tail memebers in public. I stood up and walked to the edge. "You do know these parts of the mountains belong to Sabertooth's many training spots...or do you?" I asked. I had a hand on my hip and the other hanging on my side. They looked up and you could see they were a bit surprised.
"Have we meet? You look like someone I've seen before" MiraJane asked. I looked at her, as if I was examining her face. "Nope, never met. I suggest you leave this part, your interfering with our training with being here". "Are you by any chance participating in the Grand Magic Games?" Elfman asked. "Our master hasn't stated that yet, but yes, I have a suspicion I will" I stated proudly.
"But you do look like someone we meet before..."Lisanna murmured. I heard Rogue's and Stin's footsteps running towards the finish line. I scowled and turned my body away, running off again leaving them be. I soon catched up to both of them, running in between them. We started running uphill towards the mountain peak. I jumped onto a branch and ran, or you could say jumped from branch to branch. I could see them going ahead of me.
"Guess I'll have to try it out now..."I murmured.
"MULTI-DIMESIONS OF THE GALAXY DRAGON!" I shouted.
A purple and black sort of portal appeared right in front. I crossed my arms in front of face waiting for the impact I always felt. I had tried this spell or attack multiple times, but instead of feeling like your floating through air, I always felt the hard impact of a brick wall. Sting had always laughed at me when I fell on the hard surface. But this time I felt nothing.
I opened my eyes to see myself standing right next to the exceeds. I saw Sting and Rogue in a battle, and when I say battle I mean them grabbing each other by the shoulders and tackling each other. They both crossed the finish line together and both shouted thier victory. They obviously didn't notice me.
The exceeds and myself sweat dropped at the scene before us. "Can you both stop acting like immature children and accept that you both came in second place" Juri criticized. The whipped their heads and shouted, "SECOND PLACE!?". "Surprised boys" I said. They whipped thier heads left to right. "But you were like a mile behind us..how did you get here before me us, the physically impossible" Rogue stated. "You're right it's physically impossible, but it's not dimensionally impossible" I stated, as I crouched down in front of Sting, who had sat down on the had a scratch on his face and I frowned. I probably caused that when he rolled off. I placed my hand on his cheek and kissed it.
"There, Kiss for the pain".
He smirked and placed his hands on both side of my hip and pulled me on top of him. He was laying down on the slightly snowy ground and I was on top of him. "So much for not showing PDA" I laughed. He smiled and kissed my lips. I kissed back and smiled into the kiss.
We heard a cough behind us and saw Rogue holding Frosch, covering his eyes. Sting rolled his eye, clearly not happy that he was interrupted. I giggled and got off him. I was flabbergasted at what I saw.
We were on top of the world. The clouds seemed like the ground and the sun was starting to raise. It eliminated the clouds and sky into different colors. Purple, red, orange, pink, blue, to many blends of colors to name.
This looked exactly like the sunrise I would wake up to every morning to see. I would be cuddled into Cassiopeia wings, to protect me against the winds. I guess I missed her more than I knew. But with the longing for her comes the regret as well. The regret of not be able to see her anymore, the regret of not following her advise, the regret of leaving my first family. Not Fairy Tail of course, that was the best decision I could have made at that time. But seeing Lisanna, MiraJane, and Elfman today reminded me that they were really back and that they must hate me about now. Not that, I care of course. They left me, they left a 12 year old alone.
Who in the world has the right mind to do that?
And that's when I felt it. The soreness from all the climbing and running. "Owww..." I murmured as I rubbed my arms. "Sore now? I was planning on making you sore a different way tonight~". I blushed and turned around to see a smirking Sting. "SHUT UP, YOU PERV!" I shouted. "You still love me~" he purred. "You're lucky I do...".
"If you two are done, I would like to get going now" the thirdwheel announced. We chuckled and headed back down. I couldn't make it half way down before jumping on Sting's back.
"You do know we have to make it back before 5 for your Witch Weekly photo shoot Ruka" Juri said as we reached the edge of the forest. I lifted my head from the crook of Sting's neck and lazily answered back.
"Oh yeah the photo shoot-WAIT THE PHOTO SHOOT—I COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT THAT!".
FIVE DAYS BEFORE THE GRAND MAGIC GAMES
We were all gathered at Sabertooth waiting for announcement we were all waiting for. I was sitting down next to Yukino, my celestial spirit mage best friend. "I know you'll be picked for sure Ruka. Don't worry" She exclaimed. I smiled warmly at her, but it quickly disappeared as master Jiemma walked in. Everyone lined up, we had a specific way too. The mages he considered more powerful in his guild were in the first row. That would be me, Sting, Rogue, Orga, Rufus and Lady Minerva, but she wasn't here at the moment.
We lined up and kept straight faces. "I'll make this a short as possible. The 5 people that would participate in The Grand Magic Games will be...Sting, Orga, Rogue, Ruka, and Rufus. Yukino would be our reserve. I except to win this year again, to remain number one, because we are Sabertooth, the number one guild in Fiore and we will not be taken down by any other meaningless guild. You shall not show any mercy, I shall be victorious...". He looked at us with his usual glare and walked away.
I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and let out a shaky breath. "Why are you so shooked up Ruka?" Sting asked as he slung his arms around me. "Well of course I'm nervous, I'm always a reserve for M'lady" I counter back. He put his hands up in a surrendering way. I rolled my eyes and sat back down.
Just then Lector came and told Sting something.
"Seriously?!"
I grabbed a glass of apple cider and started to drink it.
"So is Natsu-San going to enter The Great Magic Tournament?"
My eyes widened and succeeded in spitting out my drink in some nearby plants. But they proceeded to talk without taking notice.
I walked over to them and crossed my arms. Seconds later I pulled out a pink lollipop.
"Yeah...That rumor has been floating around Magnolia".
"Fro heard so too~".
"It is not a rumor, Lector...it is a fact that Fairy Tail will compete in the Grand Magic Games."
"I'm starting to look forward to this...and what about you Rogue?"
"Not interested".
"That's expected...what about you Ruka?"
He turned to face me with a smile, it was really contagious. I smiled or more like smirked back.
I played with my lollipop and set it in front of my face and replied back.
"Looking forward to it, most likely on beating them."