Previously:

"You won't die. You'll just freeze. Once you teleport back, you'll be returned to normal," Sarya replied coldly, turning her back on him to search for a new target as Hibiki froze solid, teleporting back to the Blue Pegasus balcony afterward.

Now:

Somewhere else in the forest, Cayden of the Meraki Parastin guild was wandering aimlessly through the forest, unaware an opponent lurked in the shadows.

He continued walking until he was attacked from behind. "Ow!" Cayden yelped as he turned around to find another competitor. "Well, if it isn't a tiger."

Rogue simply got into a battle stance. Unbeknownst to him, he was a serious disadvantage. The Magnar kid was allowed the use of his magic, while all Rogue had was a small battle axe and a spooky staff.

Cayden followed Rogue's lead, getting into a battle stance as well. Cayden summoned a sword to his right hand as Rogue just looked at him, expressionless. Though he may not have shown it, he was shocked, then worry soon took over as he knew of the situation and his disadvantage.

The sword was an iron longsword with some red in the middle of the silver blade. The hilt was red with some curled spikes where the blade and hilt connected. (It's the same picture of his clothing \/ just focus on the sword this time)

Cayden rushed towards the shadow dragon slayer, knowing that he was unable to use magic. It was a little obvious. If he could use his magic, he wouldn't need the weapons that he held.

Though Rogue was never one to use weaponry on missions, or in general, he was a decently skilled swordsman and a master in hand-to-hand combat.

Cayden swung his sword as Rogue blocked with his axe. Using the spirit staff that he held in his other hand, he quickly struck Cayden's stomach with its edge. The orange-haired requip mage stumbled back at the sudden impact.

Cayden decided it wasn't time to play games anymore. He was this close to obtaining 1st place for this event.

The orange-haired knight summoned another sword - one that looked exactly the same - to his other hand, dual-wielding longswords. Though his swords weren't as cool or powerful as the great Erza Scarlet's weaponry, he was an excellent swordsman with a range of weaponry at his disposal. He didn't see the need to summon the more powerful ones until he met someone who was able to use magic.

Cayden lunged towards his black-haired opponent as Rogue waved the staff in the air, emitting a faint white glow. Spirits and ghosts then came up from the ground, making loud, spooky noises. Cayden was taken aback, being surprised at the transparent souls that surrounded him. Rogue took this chance to strike him, sending his opponent backward.

Cayden recovered quickly then launched himself towards Rogue from off the tree he landed on. He moved quickly, almost as if he was flying. Before he could land a finishing blow, he felt a sharp pain in his right shoulder, making him fall just before Rogue.

"W-What's happening?" Cayden exclaimed as he couldn't move. His hands turned blue as he felt a chill down his spine.

"I-I don't know," Rogue responded as he looked behind him to find another opponent. "Splitforce."

"That's quite rude. I do have a name," she replied coldly as she stepped closer.

"Nobody asked," Cayden retorted, the blue spreading to his neck. He felt cold. And I mean, really cold. It was like he could just crack at the slightest touch.

"You know, I could slow down the freezing process. It'll be more painful for you, making it more exciting for me," Sarya smirked as she stopped just a few feet away from Rogue, making Cayden shut his mouth.

"Now for you," she said as she looked at Rogue. He got ready for what she might throw at him, getting into a battle stance while Cayden laid on the floor behind him. "Iceborn Gauntlet!" She yelled, forming a large spikey ice gauntlet in each hand. They were tinted dark blue and they looked sharp. They emitted a faint dark blue smoke, not looking like regular ice magic.

"What type of ice magic is Sarya Ortiza using?" Chapati asked as the crowd roared with excitement, though some were wary about this Sarya Ortiza.

"I believe it's ice witch magic," Yajima explained as they watched Sarya lunge towards Rogue. Cayden had froze, sending him back to the Meraki Parastin balcony unfrozen yet pained.

"It's fitting for someone from Splitforce," Sting chuckled, composing himself afterward.

"Let's see how this battle turns out!" Chapati exclaimed, ignoring Sting's comment once again.

Sarya swiped her gauntlet claws at Rogue, just barely missing. He was quick to dodge, though he wasn't sure he would be able to stand a chance against her.

Sarya quickly pivoted with her left foot, turning towards Rogue quickly as he was just getting ready to dodge. Unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough this time and was struck by his opponent on his chest.

He groaned in pain as the claw marks on his chest turned blue. "Huh?" He touched the blue marks on his chest, feeling that they were ice cold.

"The effects of being hit by the gauntlets are the same as ice shard, the spell that froze the other kid. Only this time, it's slower and more painful," she grinned as she lunged towards him again.

Rogue tried blocking her relentless attacks, but the cold pain on his chest hurt too much. He was fatigued. Sarya then struck his right leg, causing him to suppress a yell. The stricken leg slowly froze, feeling like a huge weight that made it harder for him to move.

Sarya chuckled as she inched closer to him. He was as helpless as ever now. His right leg froze to the ground, making it now almost impossible to move. The ice witch launched herself forward one more time, striking his left arm.

The claw marks turned blue as he dropped the axe he held in his left hand. His fingers turned to ice as he groaned in pain.

"I wouldn't try fighting it. It'll just hurt more," Sarya smirked as she now stood in front of him. She reached her right hand out to his neck, bringing out her pointer finger. She pricked his neck with the ice gauntlet, leaving a frozen blue mark as it spread through his veins, turning his veins an icy blue.

His breath shortened as he felt the cold feeling spread through his blood. He wanted to yell in pain but he couldn't. He started losing consciousness as the ice spread throughout his body, spreading up his head, closing in closer to his brain. It was the worst brain freeze he's ever had.

"You'll be fine. Don't want one of our biggest competitors dying," Sarya said as her ice gauntlets disappeared in a cloud of dark smoke. She turned around to try to find her last opponent until she heard a loud yell.

"YO DIRTBAGS! WHERE YOU AT? I NEED TO BEAT YOUR FACES IN!" The voice rang throughout the forest. Salamander was looking for a fight. Of course.

Rogue's eyes widened as he tried yelling to Natsu for help. "Nats-" Before he could finish, he completely froze. He was sent back to his balcony, fine and unfrozen, though he's never felt that much fear for a little girl.

Natsu had heard the attempt to try and call for him. He thought someone was looking for a fight as well, so he ran towards the voice as fast as his legs could take him, dodging trees and bushes. He jumped over tree roots and sometimes stumbled over rocks or sticks.

He finally reached a person. A girl with snow-white hair with her back facing towards him. "Who're you?" Natsu asked as he held his fishing rod and magic neutralizing bomb.

"Sarya Ortiza," she replied as she turned to look at him. "From the guild Splitforce."

He felt his blood boil. She was from the guild that water wizard was from - the one who almost killed Laxus. He tightened his grip around his fishing rod. He didn't know who he was going up against or what weapons she could fight with, but when'd that ever stop him?

He dug his foot into the dirt beneath him, pushing himself off the ground and launching himself at his enemy.

"Ice pillar," she said as she raised her hand up, a pillar of ice forming beneath Natsu as he soared through the air. The ice pillar expanded upwards, hitting Natsu towards the blue skies just before he reached Sarya.

At first, Natsu was surprised, but he was able to adapt to the situation. She didn't seem to be holding anything so now he knew that he was against someone who could use their magic.

He turned midair, landing on his feet. He tightened his grip on his magic neutralizing bomb just before throwing it at his opponent. Sarya just swiped her left hand up diagonally, an ice pillar coming in from the ground at an angle. The ice pillar expanded diagonally, hitting the crystal bomb out of the way, causing it to hit a tree and explode into a small cloud.

"Well that was useless," Natsu grumbled as the ice pillar transformed into mist and disappeared.

"You know, you have no chance against me," Sarya said as she stepped closer. "Ice Chains." 4 chains of ice came up from the ground beneath, cuffing each of his ankles and wrists.

"Oh come on!" Natsu shouted as he struggled to escape the froze chains, dropping his fishing rod in the process as his grip loosened as he used all his strength to try and escape.

"Spear of Dark Ice," she said as a small blue ice shard appeared in her hand, expanding into a black and blue spear.

The spear looked like shard black ice attached to a large glowing blue ice shard. 6 gold rings wrapped around the black stained ice while a swirl marked the head of the spear.

"That looks pointy," Natsu says casually.

"No shit sherlock," Sarya retorted as she rolled her eyes, her gaze landing on his right hand. The word 'partner' written in pink marker. "What's that?"

Natsu followed her gaze, looking at the word on his hand. "Oh- um... Our guildmate went missing a few years ago, so in honor of her, everyone wrote she means to them on the back of their right hand with a pink marker. That's where her guild mark was and pink was the color of her guild mark." Natsu chuckled as his eyes softened, even with the situation he was presented with. "She'll be home soon."

With those words, the arena was filled with awws and coos. The big lacrima screen in the middle of the arena showed the whole thing. Another lacrima-vision popped up, showing the Fairy Tail guild, zooming in on the back of their right hands.

Lucy saw the whole thing as she felt herself smiling, tears threatening to escape. She read the words on her friends' hands. Gramps had 'child'. Erza had 'sister'. Laxus had 'light'. Gray had 'angel'.

"So I'm guessing that word means a lot to you?" Sarya asked though she didn't really care.

"Of course! Luce is and always will be my partner," Natsu exclaimed as he grinned that classic grin of his. The audience burst into even more awws and cheers.

"Looks like Fairy Tail's Salamander is absolutely smitten!" Chapati claimed.

"Doubt it. Natsu's too dense," Sting commented with a chuckle. I doubt he even knows what he's saying."

The Fairy Tail guild as well as Lucy knew what he really meant, and it's true what Sting said. There's no way Natsu could understand what love meant anytime soon, but even so, Lucy couldn't help but blush a little bit.

"But what if she doesn't come back?" Sarya questioned coldly as she made direct eye contact with the chained Fire Dragon Slayer.

"H-Huh?" He looked shocked. He never really thought about that. "No way. She said she'll be back," he asserted as he nodded his head, though there was doubt hidden behind his words.

"What if she never cared about your guild?" She responded coldly, ignoring his words as she pressed the point of the spear on the back of Natsu's right hand, causing him to groan in pain.

"N-No. S-She does c-care," he managed to say, even with the pain she inflicted on his hand.

"What if she never cared about your partnership?" She continued, dragging the spear halfway through the word on his hand. He just groaned in pain as his veins had a tint of blue. Where his hand was supposed to bleed, a dark blue ice mark resided, emitting a black mist.

"If she never cared about you?" She said coldly as she finished making a slash through the word he had written on his hand, making him yell in agony. The dark ice trailed through the word, crossing out the word 'partner'.

"Don't worry. You'll soon see those 'what-ifs'," she smirked as Natsu's eye grew wide. The dark ice crawled into the wound, making its way into his bloodstream, leaving his veins black. He slowly lost consciousness as the dark ice made its way to his brain.

Natsu was then sent back to the Fairy Tail balcony, though he was still out cold, his veins still tainted black. His team brought him to the infirmary as Porlyusica rushed to Natsu to treat him.

• WENDY'S POV •

I looked at the word on the back of my right hand as I sat in the infirmary with Team Fairy Tail. Sunflower. The flower for adoration, loyalty, and longevity. The perfect flower to describe  Lucy.

What if that girl was right about Lucy not coming back? Not caring about Fairy Tail? Her family?

"I can't think like that," I told myself as I turned my attention back to the others while holding Carla in my arms. "Will Natsu be okay?"

"He'll be fine. He'll wake up in a few hours," Porlyusica replied. "The dark ice just put him into a dream state."

"I wonder what Salamander's dreaming about," Gajeel said as he crossed his arms.

"Maybe he's dreaming about fish," Happy said as he fantasized about fish. Even if it didn't look like it, he was worried about his best friend, but he wanted to lighten the mood.

I turned my gaze towards Natsu's right hand. I had already healed the wound as well as the scar that crossed out the word on his hand, though the marker had fainted where the line was drawn. It was now a word broken in half.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, posts might be slowing down to at least every other day or once every three days due to quarantine schoolwork catching up to me after procrastinating. :P

There could be times where I could post a chapter the day after I already post a chapter, though that'll be rare now.

I also want to thank you guys so much for 600 reads on this story! It really means a lot to me so thanks a lot everyone!:D