"Good luck, Luce!" Natsu patted her back as Gray watched the time fly. Lucy wanted to go up for the next part of the GMG. Lucy gave him a weak smile before walking away. "Something's wrong..." He muttered and looked at his team.

"Don't look at me, I didn't do anything!" Wendy murmured. She was still in a blanket and was standing close to her brother. She was hoping Lucy or Jellal didn't need to get healed during the battle because Porlyusica had forbidden her from her magic.

"Okay, Natsu, don't get overprotective, watch your girlfriend," Erza said. Natsu muttered something under his breath before turning back around to hear what the judges were going say.

"This battle is a draining competition! We're gonna hook you up to each of these! These would suck out your magic and let's see who can hold it in or has the most in their container!"

"That's messed up!" Gray yelled. They were gonna stop when you were almost at your breaking point.

The judges ignored him and everyone who agreed with Gray. They hooked each of them into a cylinder and connected wires in their body. Rufus had to take some of his clothes off since there were too many wires and he had too many clothes. Millianna looked ready to Erza's eyes. It looked like she wanted to prove something to someone.

"Start!" The judge yelled. Everyone looked steady. Mira found it a little strange that Quadro Cerberus was already twitching. It was only thirty seconds. She turned her head to watch Lamia Scale's Cherry. Her pink hair was big and poofy. She had a distorted smirk on and was trying not to look weak.

"So sad Jellal's not here..." Meredy sighed. They were on top of the arena and were about to leave. 

"Too bad Jellal thought he could be able to double check the arena! But, he's hooked into some machine!" Ultear said before leaping off the arena. Meredy jumped in surprise before jumping off with her.

"What's wrong? Is it Jellal?" Meredy asked.

"He led me on..." Ultear whispered, "Making me think I was going to get married, then, leaving me at the altar. I thought he liked me, not Erza, and all the guests were...."

"Were what?" Meredy asked.

"Nothing..." Meredy would have been their daughter, adoptive daughter. Ultear really wanted a child and didn't have the time of day, before meeting Jellal, to have a husband. She went to an orphanage and Meredy caught her eyes. It wasn't the pink hair or the ornaments in it, it was her personality. The owners of the orphanage tried to make Ultear reconsider with another child but never took them. 

Only Meredy.

Quadro Cerberus was out. The member was pale in the face and had to go straight to the bathroom. He had accidently went through Fairy Tail Team B's arch and had to go all the way around for Cerberus' way.

Cherry was about to drop but tried to stay. She looked weak and started to mumble words of love to keep her going. What surprised Erza most was that Millianna was already feeling the effect of the machine. She was looking straight at Happy, Carla, and PantherLily.

It also surprised Erza that the judges allowed the Master of Raven Tail to stay for this final battle. He was in one of the cylinders and was look quite serene. It wouldn't take a genius to figure out that he would win.

Makarov patiently waited for his own son to lose. He knew it was harsh but after trying to murder the first prince of the Fire Palace, who is also his grandson, was unforgivable.

Cherry had lost but was still fairly fine. She didn't have the same reaction and Chelia, her cousin, was healing her. Chelia was a Sky God Slayer. She could heal not only people, but herself! Makarov smirked as Ivan finally shrieked. He was holding in the pain and lost concentration.

But that smirk didn't last very long when Jellal raised his hand in favour to get out. "That's weird, he has at least the same amount as me, and I can last longer," Erza muttered.

"His mission? Maybe he got notified about something?" Gray wondered.

The only people left were Rufus and Lucy. Rufus knew his limits but wanted to stay longer. "Lady! You wanna get out?" Natsu quickly looked at Lucy. She was shivering in weakness and was mumbling nonsense. Something about being wanted to be remembered.

"No...get out of my way..." Lucy muttered. Her voice was cracking and she signalled for more air for her air tank. Rufus quickly acknowledged his oxygen and signalled for more. He was focusing on winning and not his health.

He was lucky that Lucy actually indirectly reminded. He would have been a goner.

"Rufus, man up," Oga yelled. Rufus sighed through his air mask and held in his magic for more longer. He could feel his magic container almost at his peak. He couldn't risk taking his own life but he could trick the girl into going.

"Hey, girl," Lucy looked over at him. It was a surprise that his mask was still on, guess he didn't want to show his face that much. "You were mumbling something, what was it?" There was a microphone in each cylinder so the crowd could hear.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Lucy pouted. Her cheeks were flushed in embarrassment. Rufus couldn't tell what she was embarrassed about.

"Okay then, how about you telling me if you and the prince are really engaged?" He asked. 

"Didn't the magazine already tell you? I guess you really do live under a rock, that's what the magazine told me," Lucy smirked.

"Huh? Is that why you're acting like that. Well, then, I guess you have nothing to lose," He said.

"What do you mean?" She asked. She was going to keep her answers short from now on. She had just noticed that the microphones were there and were outputting it on the Lacrimas.

Rufus felt his stomach churn.

"Get me out! Get me out!" He muttered. The little pumpkin opened up the cylinder and helped him out. "Get me to the medical room, I need stomach medicine," He murmured to Oga.

Natsu ran forwards towards Lucy's cylinder and helped her out. He sighed in relief to see that she was fine. Then she collapsed onto her shoulder.

"Luce, tell me, what was he talking about?" He whispered into her ear.

"It's just that, you missed my birthday..."