Storm and I bolted for the apartment. When we finally arrived, we threw open the door to find Gale, Reiki, and Kali were already getting ready for the battle.

"What are you two doing?!" Gale exclaimed. "Get dressed!"

I ran to my room to put on my work clothes and threw my hair into a ponytail. I kept telling myself that this was real, and not another dream. I took a deep breath to calm myself and stepped out of my room. My team was waiting for me in the living room. I could tell that they were nervous, but they didn't show.

"Tonight, we fight for Fairy Tail, for the future, and for ourselves," I held out my hand. My team placed their hands on top of mine and we shared a smile. "We'll come out on top like we always do and in the end, we'll come home,"

"Let's do this," Storm affirmed.

Together we marched out of the apartment with confidence toward the battle. The bells of Cardia Cathedral clanged together, warning wizards of a dangerous night. My team and I headed West, where the battle was proceeding.

We could see the ships in the air as they fired at the town. Luckily Freed's protection barrier was protecting us from their assault, for now. As we ran to the West Hill, I kept my eyes on the sky. I watched as three beams of light flew toward the ships, it was the other dragon slayers and their exceeds.

"How come we don't get to go with them?" Kali half-pouted.

"You're needed on the ground," Reiki answered. "If and when that barrier breaks, there will be a whole army swarming Magnolia. They need us to stop them or at least slow them down,"

"So which form should I take first?" Kali grinned excitedly.

"Let's assess who the enemy is before we get too carried away," Storm said.

When we finally came to the edge of the weakening barrier, several aerial ships were descending from the sky and landing on the West Hill.

"Gale, put up a wall between us and the town," Reiki ordered. Gale smiled and stomped her foot on the ground. She slammed her fists together and slid her foot forward. As she moved between stances, the ground erupted with tall rock walls that blocked our way back to town. She took a deep breath and smiled proudly at her completed work.

"That'll slow 'em down," Kali cheered.

I looked to the skies at the Alvarez ships, I could see the dragon slayers laying waste to a handful of cruisers. I grinned a little more confidently knowing that we weren't alone in this fight. That confidence staggered when the dragon slayers landed on the lead ship.

"Did they seriously just?" Storm questioned. I sighed harshly at the lack of foresight in their decision to land on a moving vehicle.

"They did," I physically cringed.

"Yikes," Gale coughed.

"They'll figure it out," Reiki said. "Let's just do what we came here to do,"

I grinned and slammed my fist into my palm, yellow sparks erupting from the force. "I'm all fired up now,"

We stepped through the barrier and approached the battlefield with the confidence and pride of Fairy Tail wizards. My team and I were the only ones standing between hundreds of soldiers and the barrier protecting the town. It was us and them...

"Let's do this!" I roared. My team and I charged to the frontline with confident battle cries. We were fifty yards from the first line of soldiers when I unleashed my first attack. "Sun Dragon Roar!"

My roar knocked aside 50 men who went flying into their comrades. Kali shifted into her saber tooth tiger form and pounced on soldiers. She picked them up with her massive teeth and threw them across the battlefield. 

I threw my sunlit fists at any soldier that came too close and dodged the ones trying to sneak up on me. They were stronger than I was expecting, but it was nothing I couldn't handle.

Advancing behind me was Gale. She sent jagged rocks slamming into soldiers and put up walls that prevented them from going any further. Reiki wasn't far away from her, shattering every weapon soldiers swung at him. He rammed his fists together, sending a shockwave that knocked over every soldier within 20 yards. Storm created weapons of ice that launched at the army, injuring several men. He created ice floors under the soldiers, making them slip and slide on the battlefield only for Kali to pounce and claw at them.

We fought hard against the Alvarez army. Beating down every soldier that made it too close to us or the barrier, but the army was advancing.

"They're getting closer," Gale shouted. She sent up a jagged rock from the ground next to her where a soldier was trying to get the drop on her. 

"Don't let them get near the barrier!" Reiki yelled, thrusting his fist into Gale's jagged rock wall. Gale caught the rocks that Reiki crushed with her magic and sent them flying at the soldiers.

I ran to the frontline and leaped into the air, flipping into a Sun Dragon's Talon. My heel made contact with a few soldiers and the wave of sunlight knocked aside a few more. Just then a small black-footed cat scurried up my leg and climbed onto my shoulder. Kali yowled confidently as she jumped off my shoulder, shifting into a panther mid-air, and pounced on a group of soldiers.

As I launched a wing attack, I heard sounds of combat coming from further behind the frontline. Someone was attacking from the center of the army's forces. 

"Sun Dragon Roar!" I sent a cyclone of sunlight barelling at soldiers. Some dodged while some were knocked aside by the attack. It cleared a path further into the army's forces and I was able to spot Carla's human form kicking back soldiers. "Hey!" I called out.

"Nashi?" She shouted. "What are you doing here?"

"Making tea, how 'bout you?" I slammed my fist into a soldier's face.

There was a low growl as a saber tooth tiger emerged from the dust cloud. As she approached Carla and I, her body began to glow and change shape. When Kali reappeared, she was standing on two human legs. 

Her skin was tan orange, but she still had a few cat stripes on her arms and legs. Her large chestnut hair resembled a lion's mane under her flight goggles and long pointy black ears. Her matching chestnut tail flicked playfully around her black ripped jeans that accompanied her maroon tank top and matching bandanna tied around her neck. When she smiled, her feline canines poked out under her glowing yellow eyes.

"Kali?" Carla exclaimed. Kali grinned mischievously in her new humanoid form.

"You're not the only who learned about transformation magic last year," She bragged. "Look out!" Kali leaped at Carla, knocking her to the ground as a soldier fired a shot where they were originally standing. Kali growled and pounced onto him, swiping her claws at his face before another soldier aimed for Kali. Just as he fired, Kali lept off the soldier and the shot, which was meant for her, hit the man she left on the ground. 

"Where are the others?" I asked, pulling one of the enemy soldiers into a headlock.

"Natsu and Gajeel are taking out the captains," Just as Carla answered, there was a fiery explosion to our right. 

"Hey Nashi!" Happy cheered and flew to my side. "What are you doing here?" 

"Folding laundry," I answered, punching the soldier I had in a headlock. He fell unconscious and I managed to toss his body onto one of his allies.

"It's about time you showed up!" Natsu roared over the fighting. I couldn't see him, but I could tell that he was about 20 yards away.

"I was here first!" I barked back.

"Does it really matter?" Gale exclaimed, she was somewhere behind me, but I couldn't see her either.

"I bet I beat up more bad guys than you!" I taunted, ignoring Gale's comment.

"Say that to my face! Come on, I dare ya!" Natsu launched back. I growled at his comment, fuming with annoyance.

"Would you two knock it off?!" Reiki scolded from off in the distance. "We're in the middle of a warzone here!,"

"You know he brings up a fair point," Kali leaned up against me with a satisfying grin. She twitched her ears, tickling the side of my face. I sneered at her, but then smirked deviously.

"Hey Reiki, Kali snuck into your room this morning and left a dead fish under your bed!" I announced.

"WHAT?" Kali squeaked with wide terrified eyes. There was a loud explosion that knocked down several soldiers ahead of us. Walking over their unconscious bodies was a terrifying sight. Many soldiers were frozen in fear as the destruction wizard made his way towards Kali.

"Reiki, I did no such thing!" Kali started to back away, throwing enemy soldiers between herself and the furious redhead. Before Reiki could get too close, I smiled triumphantly and fought my way through the crowd of soldiers, away from the beating Kali was about to get.

I sent kicks and fists flying at every soldier, leaving burns and bruises on everyone until they were unconscious. I slammed my elbow into one more soldier and then I finally caught a glimpse of fire and pink hair. His opponent was a heavy hitter five times my size, he must be one of the captains. 

"Hey Daaad!" I groaned with a bored tone. "Do you need any help? I'm running out of bad guys to beat up,"

"Kinda busy here kiddo," Natsu grunted as he dodged a hit from the captain. He pivoted and threw his fiery fist into the captain, sending him flying back a few feet. I jumped into action. Back flipping in the air, I thrust my sunlit foot into the captain's jaw. I heard him groan in pain as he fell to the ground with a loud thud. 

"So can I help?" I grinned with the biggest smile I could muster. 

"I think we might be done for now," Natsu pointed out. I looked around the battlefield to find that it was littered with unconscious soldiers.

"That's it?!" I whined. 

"This was just the Ajeel division," Gajeel spoke up. He brushed the dust off of his shoulder and joined us, dropping the unconscious body of the other captain on the ground.

"It looks like there are more reinforcements coming," Wendy rushed up to us, pointing at the air ships descending on the other side of the hill.

"Perfect," I smirked.

"Remember this isn't a game Nashi," Reiki warned, he was dragging Kali by the back of her shirt behind him as Storm and Gale followed close behind.

"Yeah I know it's not a game," I groaned. "I'm just trying to make the best of a crappy situation," I pouted.

"YOU!" Kali called out. She pounced out of Reiki's grip and landed on my shoulders, knocking me to the ground. She grabbed me by the collar and glared at me spitefuly. "You left me to die at the hands of Reiki?! Some best friend you are!!"

"Hold on!" Natsu exclaimed. "Who are you?!"

Suddenly, our surroundings turned blurry and windy as the environment was overcome by a massive sandstorm. I squinted my eyes tight as sand tried to fly into them. Kali lowered her flight goggles and helped me to my feet.

"A sand storm?" Carla exclaimed.

"Ouch! it hurts my eyes!" Happy cried out. 

"It must be Ajeel," Gale grunted.

"We've got enemy soldiers heading our way," PantherLily announced.

"Us dragon slayers can smell our targets. The rest of you stay here and stay out of trouble," Gajeel ordered.

"I can see just as well as you," Gale shot back. Her eyes were closed, but her face was determined. "I may not be able to see with my eyes, but I can feel the vibrations in the ground,"

"This form increases my feline senses and fighting skills, plus my flight goggles will keep the sand out of my eyes," Kali grinned, giving the thumbs up. The girls and I gave Reiki and Storm a cocky smirk. They were struggling to see five feet in front of them with fed up expressions.

"Don't worry boys," I grinned. "Lily and Carla will protect you,"

Storm gave an annoyed huff and attempted to roll his eyes. We just smirked and followed the other dragon slayers onto the hazy battlefield. The wind was strong and threw scents all over the place, but I was able to hear movement coming from up ahead. 

I looked at Kali and Gale, motioning for them to flank the enemies ahead. They nodded and manuevered through the sand storm until I could no longer see either of them. I heard Kali tap her foot on the ground twice, signaling that she was in position. Seconds later, I heard Gale's signal on the other side of our target. I tapped my foot twice to confirm and sent a roar spiraling at the group of soldiers ahead.

There were several shrieks of surprise and pain as the soldiers were hit by the attack. There was a rumbling sound as Gale sent a barrage of rocks flying at the soldiers. Some of them managed to dodge and ran right into Kali who pounced on them, clawing at them and using martial arts to fight them to the ground.

Gale and I moved in and fought the remaining soldiers until the group was determined to be defeated. We moved on to the next group and executed a similar strategy, rendering them all unconscious as well. A few of the soldiers were trained to fight in this storm, but most of them were fighting blind like the rest of our wizards. 

Suddenly there was a bright light that shot across the sky. I watched as it struck one of the air ships above us, cracking the hull in half. I focused my senses towards that ship and heard Erza strike a deadly blow to the ship's captain, Ajeel. She single-handedly decimated the air ship and knocked out Ajeel. 

The environment quickly cleared up and the sand dissipated, revealing the battlefield scattered with unconscious enemy soldiers. The other dragon slayers were standing on top of the hill behind us watching the airship crumble to the ground. We were all smiling proudly until Natsu saw Erza falling in the wreckage. 

He raced past me and the girls, his eyes never leaving the sky. Wendy followed after him urgently, praying that she would make it in time to heal the Titania's wounds. I turned my attention back to the battlefield. There were only a few dozen soldiers still putting up a fight, surrounding Kali, Gale, and me.

"We got you surrounded ladies," One of the soldiers smirked.

I quickly assessed the group that surrounded us. None of them were carrying long-distance weapons. Kali grinned mischievously, displaying her claws menacingly. I lit my fists ablaze with sunlight and Gale slammed her foot into the ground, making the earth quake at her power. We smirked proudly as we saw the soldiers' confidence falter.

"That sure sucks for you,"