Training

As Strider returned from his walk, he saw that most of the guild was assembled in the lobby of the hotel. They were breaking into teams and would be meeting up with the other Guilds to begin their training. The eve of the tournament was upon them and everyone wanted to be ready for the fight that would determine the Champion of Fiore.

"STRIDER!" Natsu roared as he saw his friend. "YOU WANT TO TRAIN WITH ME?!"

"NO WAY! HE'S TRAINING WITH ME!" Gray yelled at Natsu.

"Like hell! I called him!" Gajeel shouted.

"WHAT? WHEN?! Screw that! If he's training with anyone, it's me!" Nab yelled, throwing his name into the mix.

"No way! He's gonna be training with us!" Jet and Droy shouted. It wasn't long until the entire guild joined in, trying to lay claim to Strider. Strider simply laughed along as he moved a bit to the side, enjoying the scene.

"Someone's popular," Bisca said, moving to join him. Asuka laughed as she tried to grab at Strider's cloak. He leaned in a bit, letting her nuzzle against it.

"No kidding. Careful who you choose. Don't wanna piss anyone off," Mira giggled as she joined them.

"Hi Strider!" Wendy said brightly as she walked up to them.

"Hey, Wendy. What's up?" Strider asked, smiling.

"I was wondering if you wouldn't mind training with me for a little while?" she asked.

"Awww," Mira squealed happily as Wendy blushed a bit. She wasn't sure what the big deal was.

"Sure, Wendy. I'd be happy to," Strider nodded. Wendy returned his smile with a bright one of her own before standing by him, observing the continuous ruckus.

"How long do you think they'll go on for?" Carla asked as she levitated up to his head.

"Knowing them? They'll probably forget the competition," Strider said with a chuckle.

"I'm not sure if you guys have noticed, but Strider's already agreed to train with Wendy for a little while," Mira yelled over the brawl. Everyone immediately went quiet and stared at the bluenette, who was tomato-red by now.

"No fair," Lucy grumbled.

"Don't worry. The day is still young. I'll be sure to get to everyone," Strider said.

"Well, looks like we know who'd win if this were a battle of common sense," Mira sighed as Strider laughed.

-o-

Wendy and Strider were practicing in a clearing in the forest. Despite his arm being in a sling, Strider was nonetheless able to block almost all of Wendy's many attacks with his telekinesis. He was proud to see that Wendy had incorporated some of the lessons that he had given her regarding using her Sky Dragon Magic in a telekinetic way.

"Sky Dragon Secret Art: Shattering Light: Sky Drill!" Wendy yelled, launching her most powerful attack at Strider. The attack encapsulated Strider, who smiled at the sheer ferocity of the young girl. Soon, however, it dissipated and he remained unscathed. Wendy stopped, her breathing heavy.

"Not even a scratch," she whispered, downcast.

"Certainly not for lack of trying, Wendy. You're an amazing fighter and even better on support. This has nothing to do with your power; it's just that I have more experience," Strider said kindly, approaching her.

"But Jura is way more experienced than me, but he wasn't able to hurt you either," Wendy said.

"A different set of experience altogether. Mine was in battle, so it was paramount that I didn't slack," Strider said. He led Wendy to a tree and they both sat down, sighing in relief as a cool breeze flew through the clearing.

"Strider's right, child," Carla said, levitating up to Wendy's head. "You're very powerful on your own."

"Thanks, Carla," Wendy said, smiling. "Hey Strider, can I ask you something?

"What is it, Wendy?" Strider wondered.

"What kind of training did you do when you were away?" Wendy asked.

"Why do you ask?" Strider wondered, intrigued.

"I'm just curious. I remember when you fought Acnologia, you weren't able to do a lot of damage. But those dragons we fought a while ago didn't trouble you much," Wendy said.

"Acnologia had a much more powerful hide than any of them, which made fighting him a lot harder. In many cases, a dragons hide is nigh impenetrable unless you keep focusing on a particular spot over and over again. Those dragons were also a lot younger than Acnologia, I think," Strider said.

"Does that make a big difference?" Wendy wondered.

"Massive, in fact," Strider nodded. "A dragons age tells you what you need to know about how to beat it. The older it is, the longer the fight will usually be. With age comes wisdom, knowledge, and power. An old dragon is a difficult dragon indeed," Strider said.

"What's the oldest dragon you've fought?" Wendy wondered.

"Probably close to several thousands of thousand of years at max, if I had to say. Before you ask, though - I lost that fight," Strider said.

"Really?" Wendy asked, surprised.

"Really. Dragons are highly magic resistant as well, so my telekinesis isn't as advantageous. It has to be used in a particular way to have any effect on them. But a dragon that old can invariably do as it pleases; the only thing that can easily beat it is an older dragon," Strider said.

"How did you get away from it?" Wendy asked.

"It let me go before going back to sleep," Strider sighed.

"Sleep?" Wendy asked, confused.

"Dragons are heavy sleepers," Strider laughed.

"Hmm…" Wendy hummed, hugging her knees.

"What is it, Wendy?" Strider wondered.

"I'm just thinking about Grandina," Wendy said.

"Your mother?" Strider wondered.

"Yeah. Strider…do you think she's still alive?" Wendy asked.

"I can't say for sure, Wendy," Strider said softly. "But a dragon isn't ever easy to take down. If Grandina, Metallicana, and Igneel escaped Acnologia, I do think there's a good chance they survived. But finding them would be difficult. Despite the sheer size of a dragon, the world is much larger."

"I hope she's okay," Wendy said softly. "I really want to see her again."

"I'm sure she'd be very proud of everything you've done," Strider said, ruffling her hair. Wendy gave him an appreciative smile before she stood back up again, fired up and ready for round two.

"There's something that I wanted to ask you as well," Strider said, following her up.

"What's that?" Wendy wondered.

"When Natsu fought Sting and Rogue, they underwent a transformation. What was that, again?" Strider wondered.

"Dragon Force," Wendy said. "It's the final state for a Dragon Slayer. They become a lot more powerful."

"And can you access it?" Strider wondered.

"No," Wendy shook her head, sighing sadly. "A Dragon Slayer needs to eat something that's super concentrated with their element and Ethernano."

"Ethernano?" Strider wondered. He couldn't recall hearing the term before.

"Particles of Magic that reside within every living thing, as well as the atmosphere," Carla informed him.

"Like…the air we're breathing right now?" Strider asked, surprised.

"Indeed. Very small particulates, but there nonetheless," Carla said.

"I see. So if you ate a lot of air, you could enter Dragon Force now?" Strider wondered.

"Not exactly. She would have to eat a lot of Ethernano as well. As it stands, its far to dispersed for it to have any effect on her," Carla said.

"Hmm…" Strider said, pacing back and forth.

"What is it, Strider?" Wendy wondered.

"Just thinking about something, Wendy," Strider said, pausing. He looked around him, slightly reproachful at not having studied more about the land he was in. Despite living here for so long, it was obvious to him that he still had a lot to learn.

'That can come later,' Strider thought. Finally, he took a seat on the ground, carefully taking his sling off.

"Umm…what're you doing, Strider?" Wendy wondered.

"Just trying something out. It's been a while since I did something like this. This might take a while," Strider said. Pushing through the pain, he brought his hands closer together and closed his eyes.

'Should be the same principle as Reconstitution. Going to have to feel out every particle,' Strider thought. He felt his excitement begin to increase as his hands suddenly began to feel a bit prickly. It was as though infinitesimal beads were bouncing between them, pushing against and from his skin.

Wendy came around in front of him and looked on curiously at his hands. She could feel a sense of power coming from it, but couldn't quite place it just yet. It was a few minutes before the strength had seemingly increased, giving her an idea as to what it was.

Strider continued to focus his telekinetic power in that short area, expanding the area a slight bit every few minutes until finally, after half an hour of stringent concentration his hands were almost two feet apart. He envisioned a telekinetic sphere around the particles he had condensed together, acting as a container. Opening his eyes, he showed it to Wendy - who, while not able to see it perfectly clear, could see what it was.

"You condensed the Ethernano?" Carla asked, intrigued.

"Right," Strider said, smiling at his creation. "If what you need is a lot of Ethernano, then this should work. I concentrated on pulling as much as I could from this whole place and condensing it into this. I'm not sure how much you need, but try taking a bite of it. Might be the kick you need to enter Dragon Force.

"That's quite impressive," Carla said.

"Thank you," Strider said appreciatively. "But is there any danger to consuming this? If so, it's not worth it."

"I don't think so," Wendy said thoughtfully. "I know Natsu ate raw Etherion once and it nearly poisoned him, but that's because it's mixed in with a lotta other stuff. If it's just Ethernano and air, I should be okay."

"Got it. In that case, dig in," Strider said. Wendy leaned in and began to breathe in the air between Strider's hand. The result was almost instantaneous for her; she could almost taste the Ethernano within the concentrated pocket of air. She increased her speed, inhaling almost the whole thing. As she finished, she stumbled back a bit, her mind and body ablaze. Her power was yearning to break out, and she had to quickly figure out how to safely release. Soon, something else struck her mind - like a call back to days of old.

The wind around them began to increase. It rustled the leaves harder until a few of them began to shake as well. Carla was intently focused on Wendy, ready to leap to action in case something seemed wrong. Finally, she started to change.

The shy bluenette was gone; in her place stood a Dragon Slayer. Her hair went purple, as did her eyes. She had on white wristguards and ankleguards. Small white wings sprouted from her back, almost fairy-like. No longer smiling, she had a look of determination on her face.

Immediately, she sprung into an attack against Strider. On and on she went, laying into him with all her strength. Carla looked on in surprise at the newfound ferocity.

"DRAGON SLAYER SECRET ART: SHATTERING LIGHT: SKY DRILL!" Wendy roared as she hurtle the attack at him - although now it was markedly improved. Strider braced himself, allowing it to connect. Wendy stood defiant, waiting for her attack to subside. Finally, as the smoke cleared, Strider was sitting as though he had been knocked down by her attack. Still, he sported a smile. Wendy looked on in surprise at the damage her attack did.

"Excellent, Wendy!" Strider exclaimed, dusting off the debris as he got back up. As she reverted back to her regular form, she hugged Strider and Carla tightly.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed in delight. Strider smiled as he hugged her back. Since joining the guild, he perceived her as a little sister. And now, he was immensely proud of her as any big brother would be.

"That was beyond impressive. I think you'll do well at the fight, Wendy. No doubt you'll shock some other people as well," Strider said with a wink as Wendy threw her arms around his neck and continued to hug him.

"Thank you!" she kept saying.

"Thank you indeed, Strider!" Carla said, hovering near him.

"Not at all," Strider said, ruffling Wendy's hair.

"You really are too modest," Carla sighed but smiled as Strider chuckled in return. Soon, Wendy started to play with the Exceed in excitement.

"Well, like I promised, I gotta help the others train as well. I'll see you later, Wendy," Strider said. Wendy nodded excitedly as she went back to her training; she would attempt to enter Dragon Force a few more times to get used to the change.

-o-

"Ah, now does this really count as training?" Strider asked as he pulled up a chair across from Cana, who was draining a bottle. She smiled and poured him one as he joined her.

"Definitely. Let's say it'll help dull my pain," Cana said. "Done with Wendy, then?

"Yup. I think she'll surprise everyone," Strider said.

"Any tips for me?" Cana wondered.

"Well, I recall Lucy tell me about the cards that you used against Freed and Bixlow during the S-Class Trials. Send some beautiful women out and you'll knock out all the guys in an instant. Guaran-damn-tee it," Strider said. Cana giggled, taking out the cards that he was referring to. She swiveled them around in her hand, sighing and thinking on the idea. At this point, she would consider anything.

"But seriously," she sighed, adopting a frown. She put down her drink, swiveling the alcohol around.

"I know that you want to do well, Cana. You're an exceptional wizard and I've no doubt you'll put on a great showing," Strider said.

"It's not just that…" Cana said, shifting a bit.

"You want to make Gildarts proud," Strider said, guessing what she was thinking. Cana looked back up at him and nodded. Strider sighed, quickly switching over to her side and putting an arm around her.

"He's your father. I'm sure that he's going to be proud of you no matter what. And if that weren't the case, you've given him enough reason to be proud by now. Hell, you faced down a bunch of dragons not too long ago. That'd strike awe in anyone," Strider said, smiling. Cana smiled at the praise that he proffered her. She took a moment to reflect on her growth as a wizard and smiled even wider as she noticed that over the years, she had grown into a powerful, independent woman. She did things how she wanted, not caring what others thought - she lived life exactly how she wanted. Turning, she gave Strider a happy kiss, easing her tongue in as she ran a hand down his chest, tapping as she hit his thigh.

"Thanks," she whispered as she broke the kiss, her lips still inches from his.

"Not at all. But, you asked me for advice and I'm nobody if I can't at least give you that. I don't really know much about how your Magic works, beyond the fact that use cards as a conduit for it. Only thing I can suggest, really, is trying to combine the cards in different ways. Like how Rufus was able to combine his Magic to create something new when he fought against Gray. Try doing the same. Like…I dunno, fire with lightning or something," Strider said.

Cana quickly took out a few more cards and ran through them. She hadn't tried doing that very often - if at all. Usually, a single card that was correct for the situation was all that was needed. Deciding on two - Thunderbolt's Gate and Prayers Fountain - she tossed them forward at the same spot, along with a couple of cards that held women in them.

Two ladies were summoned. Wearing bikinis, both had a surprising look of ferocity. One summoned water from her hands while the other shot lightning from her fingers. Aiming at the forest in front of them, Cana's new spell did a significant amount of damage. Cana seemed to be just as surprised; she had immediately gained several new allies, it seemed.

"Excellent work," Strider said. Cana hugged him tight for his suggestion, excited at the breakthrough.

"I did it!" she exclaimed.

"That you did. I think Gildarts is going to be really surprised when he sees that," Strider said.

"Thanks, Strider," she said seriously.

"Any time, Cana," Strider said, slinging an arm around her. The two held the position for a while.

"I really wish I didn't have to train," Cana whispered.

"No kidding," Strider said, leaning down and giving her another kiss. Cana moaned into it, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. With much slothfulness, the two finally broke apart.

"I'll see you later," she whispered.

"Right," Strider nodded, wistfully taking his leave. For now, he had to let her train.

-o-

"Good to see you, Juvia," Strider said kindly as he came across the Water Wizard.

"My love! We've had so little time together these past few days," she said sadly.

"I know," Strider sighed. "It's my fault. I promise that after everything done, you and I will spend some time together."

That was it. That was all Juvia needed to hear. To Strider's surprise, she veritably melted into a puddle on the spot. Strider was caught between laughing and terror, wondering if it would be possible for her to reconstitute herself. He knelt down and scooped as much of her as he could into his arms, smiling.

With much strength, Juvia finally pulled herself together, red in the face.

"Really? Are you sure? Positive? You mean it?" Juvia asked.

"Really. I'm sure. Positive. I mean it," Strider said, helping her back up. "Like I said, it's my fault. After the Contest, we'll go do something that you want to do."

"What I want to do?!" Juvia asked excitedly.

"Yup," Strider nodded, wondering if he made the right choice in giving her the choice of activity.

"Anything?!" she demanded.

"Uh…ssssure. No harm in that," Strider said. 'Probably.'

"It's a deal, then!" she said happily.

"Juvia? Hey, you here?" Meredy's voice suddenly called out. The pink haired wizard soon came into view, sighing exasperatedly as she found Juvia. "There you are!"

"Meredy? What're you doing here?" Strider wondered.

"Juvia found me earlier today and what to ask if I would train with her. Then she said something about sensing her beloved and ran off," Meredy grumbled. "Speaking of which, where is Gray?"

"Gray?" Juvia asked.

"Yeah, your beloved. I thought he was it? I remember Ultear saying something about it," Meredy said.

"Strider's my beloved," Juvia said, nuzzling him.

"Really? But I thought…no. Wait. Nevermind. I suppose I ca—" Meredy began before Juvia was suddenly upon her, an evil glint in her eye.

"What. Was. That? Do you intend to take my beloved away from me?!" Juvia demanded.

"WHAT?! NO! I DON'T EVEN LIKE HIM!" Meredy yelped.

"Good," Juvia said, calming down and smiling sweetly at her friend. "Because otherwise…"

"Ah, well I suppose that's my cue. I'll leave you two ladies to the training, then," Strider said, bowing out quickly.

-o-

"Hi Strider!" came an adorable and tiny voice.

"Hi, Asuka. How are you?" Strider asked kindly, scooping the little girl up.

"I'm goo—I mean, I'm well!" Asuka said with a bright smile.

"Where's Bisca?" Strider wondered.

"Mamma!" Asuka yelled. From the trees, a breathless Bisca finally appeared.

"Asuka! Don't run off like that again!" Bisca said, a bit tired but smiling as she saw Strider holding her. "Hey, Strider. Thanks for finding her."

"She found me, actually," Strider said, laughing as Asuka tried to climb up to his shoulder. He began to levitate her.

"Mamma! I'm flying!" she said excitedly as she finally set upon his shoulder. "Yippe!"

"You training?" Strider wondered.

"Mostly just running after her. I decided not to enter the competition," Bisca sighed.

"Really? That's a shame," Strider said, frowning.

"Yeah. I dunno…just didn't feel like I should. Or want to, really," Bisca said, scooping Asuka into her arms and rocking her a bit. "That's not the example I want to set for her, at least."

"What do you mean?" Strider asked.

"Well…when I first came to Fiore, I was pretty quick in picking a fight with people. You could ask Erza more about that, actually. I just want to let her know that if you don't want to fight, you don't have to. Nothing wrong with staying out of it," Bisca said softly.

"I see," Strider said. He could understand where Bisca was coming from. As he looked at the young girl again, he felt a pang in his stomach. He wasn't much older than her when his world had been turned all those years ago. He was thrust into the field of battle young, against his will. If it didn't have to be that way for Asuka, he would ensure it. Almost mindlessly, he rested a hang on the young girls head, ruffling it softly. As Bisca looked at him, she saw the sadness in his eyes.

"Strider? Are you okay?" she asked softly.

"Hmm? Yes. Sorry. Just…lost in thought for a moment," Strider said, managing a somber smile. "I think you made the right choice."

"Really?" she asked, surprised.

"Really. Keep her away from the fighting as much as you possibly can. Even if it's in a controlled environment," Strider said quietly.

"Asuka?! THERE YOU ARE!" Mavis suddenly exclaimed as she came upon them as well.

"Master Mavis!" Asuka yelped. Bisca set her down, smiling as she charged at the young First Master. The two immediately picked up there game of tag, laughing as each tried to catch the other.

"They get along very well, it seems," Strider said fondly.

"Master Mavis is still pretty much a kid," Bisca giggled. Gently, she took Strider's arm in hers, slinging it around her. He smiled and pulled her in a bit closer, kissing her atop her head.

"Can I ask you something?" she wondered.

"What is it?" he asked.

"You started fighting when you were pretty young, right?" she asked.

"Yeah," Strider nodded.

"Do you ever think what would've happened if you decided not to fight?" she wondered.

"That's a good question," Strider said. "I'm sure I must've considered the question. But other than that, no, I don't think so."

"Maybe you would've stayed there?" she asked.

"That's probably certain. I only learned Telekinesis because I wanted to fight at the time," Strider said, clenching his fist several times. "It's what drove me."

Bisca gently grabbed his fast, uncurling it and gently tracing her fingers along his hand.

"Your hands are rough," she whispered, feeling the callouses.

"Gripping a sword so much leaves a mark," he sighed. "Seems to be the same case for you, it seems."

"Gripping a gun so much leaves a mark as well," she said with a smile. Strider returned it, kissing her hand before continuing on their walk.

-o-

"Hello Kinana, Laki," Strider said, smiling at the two beauties who were chatting in front of him.

"Hey, Strider," they said in unison.

"Are you two joining the fight tomorrow?" Strider asked, sitting on the grass with them.

"Laki is. I'm not," Kinana said.

"Mind offering me a few tips?" Laki wondered.

"Sure. Although, I'm not sure if I've ever seen your Magic before," Strider said.

"Well, I use Wood-Make Magic. It's like Gray's but with Wood. Problem is, I can't seem to do much with it combatively. I can make giant walls or huge maces and thing like that; I can also merge with the wood. But beyond that, I can't seem to do much else," Laki said.

"She has her torture devices as well, but they're not exactly portable," Kinana sighed.

"Torture devices?" Strider asked, turning a bit pale.

"Yeah. Iron maiden's, whips, a brazen bull, skewers, a few heretic forks, two lead sprinklers, a coffin cage, thumbscrews, a breaking wheel. Some other things," Laki said nonchalantly.

"Ah…I see," Strider said, unsure of what else to say. "You uh…haven't used them, have you?"

"Of course not! That'd be insane!" Laki said.

"Yeah…that's what's insane," Kinana said with a roll of her eyes.

"But…moving on. It's an interesting Magic, Laki. How to make it better, though? Hmm…" Strider hummed to himself for a while, trying to figure something out. "Unfortunately, I can't really think of much. Have you tried using it a bit more creatively? You could make a tree pop up out of the ground or something?"

"I guess," Laki said, concentrating hard on the spot behind Strider. It wasn't long until a giant tree popped out of the ground, covering him in a cool shade. Strider smiled and leaned back a bit, sighing in relief.

"Not bad. How about extending something out of the tree? You can control it to some extent, right?" Strider asked.

"Extending? Like what?" Laki asked.

"Branches or something. Make them sharp as spears," Strider said. Laki obliged; and with no effort at all, two sharp spikes shout out of the tree, parallel to the ground.

"Careful not to actually kill anyone with those," Strider said. However, Laki wasn't listening. She looked on in wonder.

"I GOT IT!" She shrieked.

"Got what?" Kinana asked, bewildered.

"Torture devices! I'LL SEE YOU TWO LATER!" She shouted, rushing off.

"It might not have been a good idea to give her any ideas," Kinana giggled.

"I'm thinking the same thing. Laki is an exceptional wizard. I'm sure she'll put it to good use. Enough about that, though. How're you, Kinana?" Strider asked, an unusually piercing look in his eye. Kinana shuffled a bit; she had an idea of what he was thinking.

"You know?" she finally asked quietly.

"I do," Strider nodded.

"And…what do you think?" she asked, uncertain.

"Not worse of you, if that's what you're implying," Strider said with a kind smile. "It's just interesting is all. What do you think about it is the more pertinent question."

"I dunno, really," she said, hugging her knees to her chest. "It's kind of a scary thought, knowing there's this other side of me that I didn't really know about."

"I can understand that," Strider said softly. "Don't worry to much about it, though. We'll all be here to keep you safe."

"Thanks," Kinana said with a smile. "I wanted to ask, though - do you have people like…me we're you're from?"

"You shouldn't say it like that," Strider said with a sigh. "But no, I don't think so. I did visit another land where I encountered a woman like that, though."

"Really?" Kinana asked, surprised.

"Yeah. In her case, though, she could change into a dragon, not a snake," Strider said.

"A…a dragon?" Kinana asked, shocked.

"Yup. Pretty scary thing. She wasn't very nice herself, either, now that I think about it," Strider said. "Mostly left her alone, though; and she left me alone. Our paths didn't cross often, but it was always a sight to see when she transformed. I'm not sure of the mechanic behind her power, though."

"Wow…that's amazing," Kinana said, breathless. "I don't even know how I'm able to turn into a snake…"

"It might be that there's some sort of trigger, otherwise you just can't," Strider said.

"I'm not sure I even want to, though," she said.

"Nothing wrong with that," Strider said. "As far as we're all concerned, you're Kinana - and that's that."

"Thanks," she said, smiling.

"Best be on my way, though. I'm sure someone else would like help," Strider said, taking his leave.

-o-

Strider was walking through a large clearing when a pink haired Dragon Slayer pounced on him.

"FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST!" Natsu roared, trying to get the jump on Strider. Strider opted not to move, letting the hit connect.

"I DID IT!" Natsu yelled in excitement.

"GO NATSU!" Happy exclaimed.

"Nice hit," Strider said, grinning. Natsu grinned in response as he went for another; Strider allowed it to connect as well, bolstering his confidence even further.

"Now I know I'll win!" he yelled, pointing at Strider.

"Hey, Strider, is there anything you can teach Natsu?" Happy asked, curious.

"Gildarts already taught you the most important lesson one should know. One that a lot of people still have to learn," Strider said, the last part more to himself. Natsu and Happy frowned, thinking back to Tenrou Island. Gildarts defeated Natsu by teaching him what it was to feel fear. The experience was still burned into his mind.

"I wish I could help you enter Dragon Force or something similar, but it's not as easy in your case. From what I understand, Ethernano has to be combined with your element - fire - and then you have to consume it. Honestly, in your case, my suggestion is just to do what you do best," Strider said.

"What's that?" Natsu wondered.

"Kick ass," Strider said.

Natsu grinned and lept back, pointing at Strider. "You ready to throw down?!" he demanded.

"Arms in a sling, but sure," Strider nodded.

"No holding back, though! I want you to hit me with everything you got!" Natsu shouted.

"HEY! WAIT A MINUTE!" another voice soon interjected. A shirtless Gray appeared, running towards them at full force.

"HEY! WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMETHING HERE!" Natsu shouted.

"He's not doing anything with you until he fights me!" Gray shouted.

"You're insane! I already challenged him!" Natsu shouted back.

"STRIDER! I CHALLENGE YOU!" Gray declared.

"WHY Y—" Natsu began before Strider cut them off.

"I'll take both of you on at the same time," Strider offered.

"That's not fair!" they both yelled.

"I think I can manage it," Strider said. "Besides, my arm is in a sling. It'd be embarrassing if you two combined couldn't beat me like this."

The two thought on it for a minute. They were about to agree when suddenly—"I THOUGHT I'D FIND YOU HERE! STRIDER! YOU'RE UP AGAINST ME!" Gajeel shouted.

"Him too?!" Gray demanded.

"Fine, fine, fine. Plenty of me to go around," Strider said. "Alright. You three versus me."

"To easy," Gajeel said gruffly, grinning.

"Don't blame us if you can't fight," Gray said.

"Payback time for that first time we fought," Natsu said, grinning.

"I'll try to give it my all," Strider said, waiting for them.

"Begin!" Lily shouted.

"I'm up first!" Natsu exclaimed.

"Like hell!" Gajeel yelled back.

"GET READY!" Gray shouted.

Each quickly decided on their choice of attack and launched it at Strider, who braced himself. He could see Natsu's Fire Dragon Roar, Gray's Ice Bringer, and Gajeel's Iron Dragon Roar. As each attack approached, Strider brought up his own hand. The attacks were meters away when they suddenly stopped, as though frozen in time. With an easy flick of his hand, each attack was returned to sender. The three hastily got out of the way of their own attacks, surprised and chastising themselves for being so obtuse.

"Crap. I forgot he can do that," Natsu groaned.

"Hey! That's a cheap tactic!" Gajeel yelled.

"All's fair in love and war, and this is certainly the latter," Strider chuckled. "That it, fellas?"

"AS IF!" Gajeel shouted, getting in close. His arm turned into a giant iron pole which he brought crashing down on Strider. Before it reached its target, however, Strider stopped it - again. With another flick, Gajeel was sent flying into the dirt near Natsu and Gray. As he stood up, Strider was happy to see the continued looks of determination on their faces.

"What do you think, Natsu?" Gray asked seriously.

"Well, he was pretty strong when I picked a fight with him when he got here," Natsu said. "Looks like he's gotten even stronger."

"No duh," Gajeel agreed. "He's had seven more years of training, and it's not like he was a pushover before. This isn't gonna be easy."

"You can do it, Natsu!" Happy cheered his friend on.

"Come on, Gajeel! You're stronger than this!" Lily shouted.

"Get in close?" Gajeel asked.

"Let's go for it. I'll distract him," Gray said.

The three separated, with Gray making a beeline straight for Strider. He suddenly felt his body hurled back. As Gray looked back up, he saw that Gajeel and Natsu were hurled right at him. The three collapsed on each other, grumbling as they got back up.

"Time out," Strider said, approaching them.

"WHAT?! WE'RE NOT DONE YET!" Natsu shouted.

"Maybe not, but my arm is starting to kill me again," Strider said, shaking his sling a bit. "Not sure I want to risk getting it hurt, especially this close to the contest. However, I think I know what you three need."

"What's that?" Gajeel asked.

"A fight with each other. You three are probably the most competitive guys in the guild. You're never able to finish your squabbles, though. Try outdoing each other. Whoever wins today is probably going to be the one to last the longest during the fight," Strider said.

Gajeel, Gray, and Natsu each looked at each other. Slowly, they each grinned; Strider was right on that. With a short laugh, he bowed out to the sounds of trees crunching and the ground getting pulverized. Looking over his shoulder, the clearing he left them in was a blaze, frozen, and dusted with iron.

-o-

"Training hard?" Strider asked as he came across Erza. She was training in tandem with Jellal and Ultear, both of whom kept her on her toes.

"As hard as I can," she said, pausing.

"She's still a monster," Ultear grumbled. Noting Strider's arm, she tilted her head a bit. "You don't look to good."

"Not to bad, considering the alternative," he sighed, moving his arm a bit. Each inch sent a shock through his system.

"Erza told us what happened. It's lucky the spider wasn't poisonous," Jellal said.

"Venomous," Strider corrected him.

"What?" Jellal asked.

"If you bite it and you die, it's poisonous; if it bites you and you die, it's venomous. A spider would be venomous. Plus, the venom is injected through the bite, not the sting," Strider said.

"Talk about pedantic," Ultear grumbled.

"Corrections must be made when they arise," Strider laughed.

"Incidentally, there's something I'd like to ask of you. Although, considering your current state, perhaps it'd be best to wait," Jellal said.

"Oh? What is it?" Strider asked.

"Ever since our first encounter, I've been curious about your strength. I was wondering whether you'd like to spar with me?" Jellal asked.

"Here?" Strider asked.

"He's hurt, Jellal," Erza said sharply.

"I'm not sure whether that's enough to stop him, which is why I asked regardless," Jellal said.

"Ahh…well, I suppose I can. Going to have to take it easy on me, though," Strider said.

"Strider - are you sure?" Erza asked unsurely.

"Yeah. Should be fine," Strider said. "

"Very well. We won't be able to use any significant magic, however," Jellal said.

"As you wish," Strider nodded, bracing himself for what was to come. He knew almost nothing of what Jellal's Magic entailed and was interested in seeing it in action.

Jellal was engulfed in a bright golden light and launched himself at Strider like a Meteor. It wasn't long before he soon careened into the ground, Strider's telekinesis guiding him down.

"I expected that," Ultear sighed.

"Do you think he has a chance?" Erza wondered.

"I'm not sure. Jellal couldn't damage the dragons either, remember? Without knowing the limit of Strider's Magic, it'll be difficult to overcome. Theoretically, he could control every atom in Jellal's body and bend it however he wanted," Ultear said.

"Why wouldn't he just do that against the spider, then?" Erza asked.

"You'd have to ask him. You told me about a job you took with him against a monster that was Magic resistant. It could've been the same case," Ultear said. "Or his mind was somewhere else and he didn't think to use it."

Meanwhile, Jellal was hurling attack after attack at Strider, each of which he easily deflected. He raised his hand against some, but others simply deflected away.

"Hmm…" Jellal hummed to himself, wondering what his next mode of attack would be.

"It'll be difficult for you to get in, I'm afraid," Strider suddenly said.

"Meaning?" Jellal asked.

"There's a few things my telekinesis won't work on, but against simple attacks like that, it's not very difficult. Against people as well, for the most part," Strider said, suddenly flicking two fingers down. Jellal suddenly collapsed to the ground, his body unable to move.

"Not…even…an…inch…" Jellal gasped to himself. He tried to move his fingers, but even they wouldn't respond. Finally, Strider released him from his hold. As Jellal looked up, he saw that Strider was frowning.

"That's the problem when it comes to people," Strider said, lifting his fingers up and raising Jellal to his feet. "Almost zero defense against Magic whatsoever. A dragon or a beast like that is difficult to effect with telekinesis, but people are a different story. You might be able to repel some attacks, but telekinesis bombards you from every direction, at the same time, with the same about of force. You'll need to think of something new."

"Has anyone ever broken it?" Ultear wondered.

"A few, when I was younger. There's still improvements to be made," Strider said.

"That's hard to imagine," she grumbled. "Anyways, I think that's game, set, match. Not hurt, are you?"

"Only my ego," Jellal sighed.

"I was going to offer my help, but something tells me you don't need it," Strider said to Erza, smiling.

"I should be fine," she said, returning his smile.

"By the way, I've been meaning to borrow a boo—" Strider began before he was cut off with a sword flying by his ear. He slowly turned around to see it lodged deep in a tree.

"My apologies, Strider. My hand must have slipped. You were saying?" Erza asked sweetly.

"Ah…nothing, now that I think about it," Strider said. "See you back at the hotel!"

-o-

"You appear to be busy training here as well," Strider said, coming upon Kagura. She was alone in a clearing, solemnly training her swordsmanship. He had observed her for a few moments and was impressed with what he saw; despite his proficiency with Magic, he could tell that as a pure swordsman, she exceeded him.

"Yes. It appears as your Guild is as well?" Kagura asked.

"Yup. What about yours?" Strider wondered.

"Here as well. Some of them have teamed up, others prefer to train by themselves. Unless our Master is here, in which case we usually train alongside her," Kagura said.

"She's missing out on all the excitement," Strider said.

"I believe she feels the same way. That said, her duties in Alikitasia still call to her from time to time," Kagura said.

"Care for a sparring partner?" Strider inquired.

"We're going to be competing against each other," she said.

"I know. Still thought it'd be polite to ask," Strider said.

"You don't seem to be 100% yet," she said, looking at his arm.

"I only need one hand to wield a sword," Strider said, drawing his.

"Very well. Don't expect any mercy, however," she said.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Strider said, preparing himself.

Kagura launched at him at an incredible speed, her sword cutting through the air. Strider quickly brought Anglachel up and blocked her before telekinetically rocketing her back. As she had done during the event against him, she used her Gravity Magic to reposition herself.

'Going to have to find a way around that trick,' Strider thought to himself. Because her Gravity Magic required no physical movement to enact, Kagura was free to adjust it as she wished to throw off the cadence of his telekinesis.

Strider changed his track, keeping her on her toes and sending projectiles at her - branches, shrubs, rocks, gravel, entire trees. She cut through some and evaded others. Each time she tried to attack, he launched her right back. After several minutes had passed, neither had gained much ground.

Strider noted that Kagura's breathing began to grow heavier after a little while. The continued use of her Magic was draining her and it showed in her movement; she was a bit slower and her slashes lessened a bit in power.

Finally, he found his opportunity in a slight respite she had offered herself. Her body crashed to the ground where she stayed for a few moments before getting back up, panting.

"It appears…I need to work…on my breathing," she sighed.

"I think so as well," Strider said. "I'm not entirely familiar with the mechanics of Magic and it's drain here. Erza seems to be able to hold her Requips for a while and Natsu seems to have an unending source of energy."

"Erza's Magic is only depleted if she uses a kind of armor that requires a significant amount of magical energy. Otherwise, she could likely keep some of her armors on for days on end, if she wished. As for Natsu, I'm not sure. I'm more used to swordsmanship, however; I've only ever used my Gravity Magic sparingly. Part of the reason is that sustained usage drains the user quickly," Kagura said.

"Interesting," Strider said. As far as he could recall, he had never had the problem of not being able to use his Magic.

"Is it not the same where you come from?" she wondered.

"Not really. The type of Magic I use isn't particularly normal where I'm from. I found more examples of it in the continent to our East, a place called Thedas. They wizards I met there have almost inexhaustible reservoirs of Magic," Strider said.

"It's quite amazing," Kagura suddenly said.

"What is?" Strider wondered.

"There's a place full of people that you know about that none of us here have ever had the chance to meet. It's almost surreal," she said.

"Never really thought of it like that. I can see what you're saying, though," Strider said thoughtfully. "Have you ever left Fiore?"

"Never," she said.

"No interest?" he wondered.

"It's not that. It's just…I've never had a reason to go elsewhere. Everything I wanted to do was right here," she said softly.

"It might do good to get a wider perspective," Strider said.

"Perhaps," Kagura said, sighing. "I should continue my training."

"I'll leave you to it, then," Strider said, turning to leave.

"Strider!" Kagura called out suddenly.

"Hmm?" Strider asked.

"Thank you. For taking the time to train with me," she said, blushing a bit.

"Any time," Strider said, smiling.

-o-

"Ah, Strider. Greetings," Freed said as Strider entered a clearing where the Thunder Legion was training.

"Good to see you Freed, Bixlow, Evergreen, Laxus," Strider said, acknowledging the others.

"Not training with Mira or Erza? Or maybe one of the other many ladies chasing you?" Evergreen teased.

"All busy doing their own thing. I imagine Mira's with Elfman, though. Surprised you two haven't absconded yet," Strider chuckled.

"WHAT?! AS IF I'D BE CAUGHT DEAD WITH THAT OAF!" Evergreen shouted.

"You been training?" Laxus asked.

"Been helping others, mostly," Strider replied.

"That might come back to bite you later," Laxus said with a smirk.

"I can only hope so," Strider said.

"If you're not busy, perhaps you'd be open to sparring with us? I've been meaning to try my luck against you since the S-Class Trials," Freed said.

"If you want, sure," Strider said, sighing ever so slightly. 'Not again…' he grumbled to himself.

"One on one probably isn't fair, Freed. Might as well make it two on one," Bixlow said, grinning at Strider.

"I'm game if he is," Laxus nodded.

"Four on one. No doubt you're strong and I doubt our individual capabilities in taking you out. As a team, however, we might stand a chance," Evergreen said.

"Don't hold back," Strider said.

"Dark Écriture: Darkness," Freed said, going for one of his most powerful forms off the bat. Strider looked on in interest as Freed's body changed into that of a demon; his green hair flowed behind him as his body appeared to turn into a black metallic armor. Dark wings jutted from his back, his menacing visage trained on Strider.

"Fairy Machine Gun!" Evergreen roared as she sent a barrage of light bullets at Strider.

"Alright, babies! Baryon Formation!" Bixlow grinned as a geyser of explosive green energy shot at Strider.

"LIGHTNING DRAGON ROAR!" Laxus yelled, sending a powerful attack at Strider.

"Darkness Breath!" Freed yelled, sending a tornado of black wind at Strider. The four were far more in sync than Natsu, Gajeel, and Gray, Strider thought. Nonetheless, he was able to deflect each attack with his. As the dust cleared, he was unscathed, his right arm outstretched.

"Man, not even a scratch," Bixlow said lamely. Strider just winked in response.

"Is there any attack you can't deflect?" Laxus inquired.

"If the attacks give me time to react, it's certainly difficult to break through. I've practiced by telekinesis for several hours a day for almost twenty years now, sometimes for days on end without any respite. It'd be beyond embarrassing if it wasn't near impenetrable," Strider said.

"Ugh, forgot you got seven years on us," Bixlow grumbled.

"Considering he slew Acnologia before that, I'm not sure if those seven years removed would've helped us," Freed said.

"Do you not use any sort of defensive Magic, then?" Evergreen asked.

"What do you mean?" Strider wondered.

"Freed and Levy can both set up barriers with their Letter Magic. Can you do something similar?" She expanded.

"Not like that, no. I just use telekinesis. It's a powerful barrier all on its own," Strider said.

"Unless something breaks you concentration?" Evergreen asked with a smirk.

"Ah. Yes…Minerva," Strider sighed. "Won't be making that mistake again, I assure you."

"I thought Mira was going to kill her," Evergreen said cheerfully.

"No kidding. Never seen her so pissed before," Bixlow laughed.

"The match is still ongoing," Freed said, launching himself at Strider. The slight distraction wasn't enough. Strider flicked his hand at Freed and launched him into the others, hurtling them all backwards.

"Looks like this match rules in my favor," Strider chuckled, taking his leave.

"Ugh. Gonna have to find a way around his Magic. Maybe if I make mine a bit faster…" Laxus thought aloud to himself. Grinning, he got to work.

-o-

"You seem to be hard at work, Lucy," Strider said, coming across his teammate. Lucy squealed in fright; her back was turned to him and she was concentrating on meditating as Capricorn had advised her to do.

"LUCY KICK!" she shouted. Strider was caught off guard and the kick connected with him, sending him back a few feet.

"OH CRAP! STRIDER! I'M SO SORRY!" Lucy screamed, helping him back up. "I DIDN'T HURT YOU, DID I?! DID I BREAK YOUR ARM?! CRAP! SO SORRY!"

"Relax Lucy, relax," Strider said, a few beads of sweat trickling down his head. The attack certainly did hurt him. He felt about ready to tear his arm off; the pain was at a tipping point now.

"You sure?" she asked uncertainly.

"Positive. You seem to be hard at work," he said.

"No kidding," she sighed, stretching a bit. "I've been meditating since we got here. Capricorn said it'll help my concentration and how long I can keep my spirits out."

"Yes, I believe I recall him saying that. You're doing an excellent job," Strider said. "How do you feel about the match?"

"Hmm. I dunno, actually," she mused. "I know that it's going to be hard, but I figured I might as well try, right? Best case, I win and get that 50 million jewel. Worst case, maybe I'll get a bit stronger."

"That's quite an optimistic outlook," Strider said with a small smile.

"I think it's what my mom and dad would've wanted," she said, her eyes misting over slightly. Strider nodded, moving forward and hugging her. He could tell that the loss of her father was still heavy on her mind. She put her arms around him in return, thankful for his presence.

"They'd be very proud of you, I think. I certainly am. You showed a great deal of courage against the fight against the dragons. In fact, without you, I'd be dead by now," Strider said.

"I don't know about that. You held them off for a long time," she said.

"Still, 10,000 dragons would've been impossible for me. I was at my wits end with just those seven. I suppose I owe you a great debt," Strider said.

"Na. We're even," she giggled. "Hey, you want to sit down for a bit? You seem a bit pale."

"Hmm? Do I?" Strider asked, touching his face. He wiped away the sweat, cursing himself for letting it get like that.

"Yeah. Come on," she said worriedly, sitting him down against a tree. She sat side by side, resting against his arm.

"I just remembered I still need a place to stay when we get home. Perhaps I—" Strider began, but was quickly cut off.

"No boys allowed," she sighed.

"Not even on the couch?" he asked.

"Nope," she said.

"Not even if I asked nicely?" he pressed.

"Nope," she responded.

"Not even if I begged?" he said.

"Still no. My landlady would kill me and I'm pretty sure she wants to already," Lucy grumbled.

"Looks like it's back to staying at the guild for me," Strider sighed.

"I forgot you still don't have a place of your own," Lucy sighed. "Maybe you can try staying with Natsu. His place is kinda small, though. And messy. And dirty."

"A roof is enough," Strider said.

"Don't you mean a roof and bed?" Lucy asked.

"I've done without beds for long enough to not miss them when they're not around. A roof…after sleeping out in a downpour or near an active volcano, you appreciate what it means to have something over your head," Strider said. "Perhaps I could try Fairy Hills…"

"Only if you want to become a girl," Lucy said. "You should have enough money saved up to get a place, though."

"Yeah, probably. Figured I'd explore other options first," he said, eliciting a giggle from her.

"I just realized that we haven't spent a lot of time together since the Games," she said softly.

"My fault," Strider sighed, putting an arm around her and pulling her close. "Once everything's done, perhaps we can."

"I'd like that," she said softly, putting her arms around him and inching a bit closer. She had forgotten how warm he was.

"Hey Strider?" she asked softly.

"Hmm?" he wondered.

"Mind if we stay like this for a while?" she asked.

"As long as you want, Lucy," Strider said, softly running a hand through her hair. She smiled at his words and got as comfortable as she could, listening to the soft sound of his heartbeat.

-o-

"Elfman and Lisanna aren't here?" Strider asked as he came across Mira. She wasn't training like the others; she had opted to walk along the river, admiring how it twinkled under the moonlight. Strider noted she wasn't exactly dressed to train; she wore a beautiful black dress that was more implicative of a night on the town.

"Hey. Lisanna ran off to find Natsu. She saw some fire and ice in the distance and figured he'll probably need some first aid," she said.

"Prescient of her. He was with Gray and Gajeel last I left them," Strider said.

"And Elfman said he's going off to train in private for a bit. Code for see Evergreen," Mira giggled.

"Prescient of you, in this case," Strider laughed. "How about you? Not going to train?"

"I think that I'm ready enough. It's such a beautiful night out, though, I just wanted to relax for a bit," she said, kneeling down and running a hand through the water.

"In that case, mind if I join you?" Strider asked.

"I'd like that," she said. Strider offer his arm to her, which she happily took. The two began to walk along the bank of the river, away from the city and deeper into the forest, where they were less likely to be interrupted.

"How's your arm feeling?" she asked.

"Aching, but better," Strider said, moving it again. The pain from before had mostly worn off, but it still felt tender. He figured it would be better before the fight started.

"Seriously, be more careful next time," Mira sighed, hugging his other arm a bit tighter.

"I promise I will," Strider said. "In my defense, I thought it was dead."

"Same. I've no idea how it even managed to attack you," she said worriedly.

'Be more thorough next time,' Anglachel whispered in his mind.

"I'll have to be more thorough next time," Strider mused.

"I wanted to ask - after the fight, you're going to tell me more, right?" Mira asked.

"Whatever you wish to know," Strider sighed. He couldn't say he was looking forward to it, but he knew the questions would come sooner or later. He had mostly evaded them for a long while; eventually, he'd have to relent.

"Thanks," she said softly.

"Not at all," Strider said.

They continued walking in silence until they came upon a small waterfall that emptied into a pool that lead into the river. The moon and stars reflected softly off of the crystal clear water, giving it a beautiful soft glow.

"Beautiful," Mira said, resting her head against his chest.

"More so with present company," Strider said. She smiled and pressed herself closer to him, enjoying the moment.

"This is the other great thing about Crocus. At night, you can see so many stars," she said, looking up.

"I can tell," Strider said, tilting his head up as well. "The stars are extremely important to a race of people from my homeland. They love them more than anything."

"Why's that?" Mira asked.

"They glow like them for one," Strider said with a chuckle. "When they woke, it was the first thing they ever saw; and water, the first thing they ever heard. They love the stars and the water more than much else. The People of the Stars."

"Do you know them?" Mira asked.

"I'm lucky enough to consider some of them as my friends," Strider said.

"Miss them?" She asked softly.

"I do," Strider said, smiling. "Maybe not as much as I missed you all those years."

"Charmer," Mira said, turning to face him. Strider smiled and tilted her head up, giving her a gentle kiss. Mira giggled, leaning into it and wrapping her arms around his neck. She felt his right hand descend down her body, giving her a tight squeeze before resting there. They leaned deeper and deeper into the kiss, their teeth clicking and their tongues massaging the others. As Mira broke the kiss, she gave Strider a deep look of passion before wistfully looking at his arm.

"Ugh…" she replied.

"No kidding," Strider grumbled, trying to move it. It retaliated by flaring up, moving past aching territory. Mira looked at him worriedly as he flinched, stopping him from making it worse.

"Relax. We have plenty of time," she said, leaning up and giving him another kiss. "Besides, there's something else instead."

"Hmm?" Strider wondered. His question was soon answered as Mira gave him a seductive smile. Keeping her lips separated from his by inches, she moved her hands slowly down his chest, massaging it gently. She giggled as she undid his pants, gently slipping her hand inside. Strider moaned in pleasure as she she began to stroke him gently, kissing him along the neck as she did so. She refused to say another word, preferring to let her touch do all the talking.

She licked his lips softly before licking her own, slowly going down and taking his pants down with her. She smirked as he came free, Mira continued to stroke before slowly easing her lips around him. Strider groaned, wishing there was something leaning against so he could enjoy this completely. He weaved his hand through her hair and slowly began to thrust. Mira felt him at the back of her throat, fucking her mouth harder and harder. She could feel herself getting wet but focused on giving her full attention to him. She took pride in the continued moans and grunts she got from him as she danced her tongue atop the head. Strider could feel each pleasurable lash of her tongue and as he looked down, he saw that she was staring back up at him, her blue eyes full of passion and love.

She continued going, switching her method here and there. From stroking him and dancing her tongue on head; to enveloping him entirely in mouth, going as deep and far as she could; to hollowing her cheeks and trying to drain him. All the while, however, she kept looking at him, confident that this was just the first step for them.

She had gone on for a while when finally, Mira felt him gush. She was surprised for her first time, but she quickly acclimated. She smirked inwards as she swallowed, feeling a heightening sense of pride. She hollowed her cheeks again, looking up at him as she drained him of every last bit. As she rose back to her feet, she saw Strider grinning like never before.

Looking down, she saw that her dress had gotten sloppy, covered with all the saliva she dripped on to herself. She cleaned up the little that was around her mouth before transforming into another, cleaner dress - a hot red that she was sure would keep him excited.

"Let's get back to the hotel, yeah? It's getting late," she said, smirking.

"Your wish, my command," Strider said, putting an arm around her and heading back.

-o-

"You'll have to watch your back during the fight," Mira said, resting her head against him.

"Which makes it even more fun," Strider replied.

"And then we can finally go back home," Mira sighed happily.

"I dunno, I really like that penthouse," Strider said.

"Yeah, but it's not home," Mira said.

"Speaking of which, I still need to find a place," Strider lamented again.

"I don't get that. You've done quite a few high paying jobs; you can get something really nice," Mira said.

"Maybe I can stay with you or something?" He suggested.

"I'd love that, actually," Mira said softly, smiling at the thought. "But no more room with Lis and Elf. Plus, not like we could get any privacy with them around."

"Ugh. Good point," Strider grumbled.

"Are you still going to do that Century Quest when we get back?" Mira asked softly.

"Yeah," Strider said.

"Please be careful," she said softly.

"I promise that I will," Strider said, kissing her atop her head. She leaned in a bit more, still uncomfortable at the thought of him going at a Century Quest alone.

"Master, Gildarts, Wizard Saints, Council Members - only Gildarts has tried and it really messed him up. Don't underestimate it," she said.

"I'll be fine," he said quietly. She could tell that he meant it, but it didn't soothe her by much. The look was on her face as they walked back to the hotel to prepare for bed. As they got there, they saw Master Makarov talking with a solemn looking man.

"Something wrong?" Strider wondered.

"Nothing wrong, my boy. Just someone to see you," Makarov said.

"You must be Strider," the man said. Mira gasped as an older gentlemen with a clean cut appearance appeared. His hair was dark and there was a tattoo of a cross on his forehead. He wore a bowtie and a button up shirt, covered by a vest. He wore a large ring on his middle finger; his appearance was topped off with a cape; he looked reminiscent of a vampire.

"I am. And you are…?" Strider asked.

"My name is Draculos Hyberion," the man said, introducing himself as he regarded Strider.

"Strider, this is Hyberion. Number two amongst the Ishgar Four and a Wizard Saint," Makarov said, introducing the man further.

"A pleasure. What can I do for you, Mr. Hyberion?" Strider asked.

"Perhaps we could talk in private?" Hyberion said. Strider nodded and gave Mira a hug and a smile as he walked off with Hyberion.

"Master, what's going on?" she asked.

"Nothing like that, Mirajane. They just wanted to talk to him about something," Makarov said. Mira looked on curiously before nodding and heading to her room.

-o-

"You are a talented wizard, Strider," Hyberion finally said.

"Thank you, Mr. Hyberion. But I'm only as talented as those that mentored me," Strider said.

"Your modesty precedes you," Hyberion said as Strider smiled. "I'm afraid I've little time, so onto business. The Saints and the Council asked that I come on their behalf to set up a time to view the body of Acnologia."

"I understand. The special event is soon, and I will participate in it as well as the festivities that follow. I should be ready to show you the body in around… three or so days?" Strider said.

"Very well," Hyberion said as he began to walk away. That, apparently, was all that he wanted to say.

"Mr. Hyberion," Strider said.

"Yes?" he asked.

"What can you tell me about the attacks in Alvarez?" Strider asked.

"Why?" Hyberion asked.

"Curious, mostly," Strider said.

"I see. Not much, as it stands. However, I was informed that there was an attack recently - yesterday, actually. I am still waiting on the details," Hyberion said.

"Yesterday?" Strider asked, surprised.

"Indeed," Hyberion said.

"Would you mind sharing what you learn with me?" Strider asked.

Hyberion gave him a piercing look. However, he soon shook his head.

"I'm afraid that'll have to be decided at a more appropriate time. You can ask the Saints and the Council for more information when we view the body. Farewell," Hyberion said.

"Very well," Strider said, grating his teeth a bit. "Goddamned politicians."

"Did you say something?" Hyberion asked, pausing.

"You can ask me again when we view the body. Farewell," Strider answered, taking his leave.

"Probably not a good idea to piss of the council, my boy," Makarov sighed as he appeared at Strider's side.

"Sorry, Master Makarov," Strider sighed, rubbing his head. "They just never make it easy to fix anything."

"No kidding. It's why I couldn't be bothered to attend all those meetings," Makarov said with a chuckle. "Good night, my boy."

"Good night, Master Makarov," Strider said, heading to his room for some much needed rest.