Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me

Copyrighting not intended

Hey ErLu shippers! Well, if you couldn't tell from the summary, this story was inspired slightly from the Hunger Games, as well as a lot of survival stories and games I have encountered. It may not be exactly accurate as I am not versed in survival and I'll try my best to keep it original, but enjoy!

Lucy awoke with a pounding headache, groaning as she felt the hard floor beneath her. Trying to regain her bearings, the celestial mage found herself trapped in a small cell, the door locked with a shimmering padlock, no doubt reinforced with magic. A small weight around her neck led her to believe she was wearing some sort of collar, and from the feel of it, it was made of metal. Scanning her surroundings, she saw a dark lump lying against the floor next to her, and with what little light she had, Lucy managed to make an identification.

"Erza" Lucy struggled to the re-equip mage, still slightly woozy from whatever had knocked her out.

The red-head had been stripped of her armor, leaving her in her usual white blouse and blue skirt, a similar collar shackled around her neck. She was unconscious and her left arm was oddly positioned. Rolling up the sleeve, Lucy nearly threw up at the angry purple and red splotches that marred the once beautiful skin. Lucy was certain that Erza's shoulder had been dislocated. Erza didn't seem to be waking up anytime soon, so Lucy sat beside her, trying to remember the events that had led to their situation.

The last thing she remembered was going on a shopping trip with Erza. An odd event, yes, but Lucy couldn't remember how or why they had decided to go shopping that day. Squeezing her eyes shut, Lucy willed herself to remember more, ignoring the pounding in her head. She remembered being shoved by Erza as a bright beam of light struck where they were standing, and then all hell broke loose. Loke and Virgo were summoned, and Erza was brandishing her blades fighting of people clad in black armor, as though they were some form of soldiers.

The battle was a blur but Lucy recalled Erza collapsing in front of her, shielding her from someone wielding a baton that crackled with electricity. Before she knew it, soldiers had grabbed her and a collar was snapped onto her neck. As it activated, Lucy watched Loke and Virgo fade away, eyes widening as they were forcibly sent back to the Spirit World. Yes, that collar was a magic inhibitor, sealing off her magic. The man with the baton spoke, but Lucy didn't register the words he said, only watching as he walked towards Erza's limp body and kicked it slightly with his foot. Lucy recalled him smirking as he picked up Erza's arm and with a sickening pop, dislocated it with one swift movement. The Lucy in her memory screamed as he did so, and the last thing she remembered was a baton to the head, knocking her out cold.

The jangle of the door brought her attention back to the present and Lucy tensed on reflex as a tall skinny man walked in, the soldiers behind him holding batons. He held himself with an air of authority, his beady little eyes void of emotion.

"You're awake." His scratchy voice reached her ears. It was dry, hoarse and sounded horribly of darkness "Can't say the same for your friend over there."

"Heh, I must have turned the voltage a little too high" One of the soldiers smirked, clearly proud of his actions

A memory flashed in Lucy's head, and she clearly remembered Erza getting struck with the electrified baton. When she refused to fall, the soldier turned up a knob with no hesitation, knocking the re-equip mage out cold from the massive shock.

"No matter. Come."

"I'm not going anywhere" Lucy pushed back, her voice slightly wavering "What do you want with us?"

"Come." The man repeated, his voice never changing "That is an order."

The crackle of the batons got Lucy moving, her senses on alert as she walked down the corridors. The place she was in was dark, torches along the walls illuminating the path. On the right of her were more cells, the figures within huddling together, away from the light as their eyes followed her down the corridor. She was ushered into a room filled with weapons, everything from swords to guns to tracking devices.

"Choose your weapon." The skinny man spoke "And since your friend is currently incapacitated, you will choose for her."

"What are you doing to do with us?" Lucy asked bravely, even though she was quaking inside

"You don't have much time girl" He snarled "Choose or we will choose for you"

If she wasn't going to be able to escape, Lucy wanted to at least have a choice of her own. Her bright eyes scanned the room, her feet immediately bringing her to the sword section. She took a good look at the array of sword. Time spent with Erza taught her how to spot a good sturdy blade. Lucy picked out a simple blade, similar to Erza's personal sword, a shiny silver hilt sword. Weight-wise, Lucy couldn't tell, for it was too heavy for her, but she was sure Erza could wield it, even with only one good arm.

Next was her own weapon. Lucy was never one for close combat, usually relying on her spirits to fight for her, but that was no longer an option. She contemplated getting a light rapier for herself, not really knowing what to expect, and Erza could easily teach her how to wield a blade. Lucy reached for it, but something else caught her eye. She turned away from the sword rack, feeling eyes following her as she walked towards a whip, neatly curled up in a case. It had a sturdy hilt and the whip itself was long and seemed to be in good condition. It may not be the weapon of choice for many people, but Lucy felt confident in her skills.

The tall man raised an eyebrow at her choice, but didn't say anything. He gestured for the soldier to take the weapons Lucy had picked out before escorting her back to her cell. This time, he spoke on the way back.

"You and your friend have been given the honor of participating in our master's game. Not everyone gets this privilege, only those that can bring the entertainment our master requires."

"Honor? Privilege? Game?" Lucy repeated "What the hell are you talking about."

"You will survive, as long as you can" He continued, ignoring her question "We will be watching. Survive like the people that have come before you, or die as they have."

"Die?" Lucy gulped, deciding to gain as much information as she could before she reached her cell "This is a game right? How do we win?"

Stopping in front of the cell, he turned and stared at Lucy, who seemed to small before him. A small smile tugged at his lips "Escape. If you can escape or if your guild rescues you, you win. We have informed them of their optional participation in this game and rest assured, we will make sure you die trying"

Lucy was shoved back into her cell, and before she could turn back and ask more, a sharp pain struck her neck and she blacked out once more.

The next time Lucy awoke, she found Erza looming over her worriedly. Her neck hurt like hell and her vision was spinning, but it was clear from the sun shining through the trees that they were no longer in their cell.

"Lucy are you ok?" Erza asked worriedly, her brow furrowed

"Yeah.. I'm fine." Lucy sat up rubbing her neck "Where are we?"

"Don't know, I woke up not too long ago" Erza grunted as she moved, her right hand gripping her shoulder

"How's your shoulder?" Lucy questioned worriedly, quickly reminded of that horrible bruising.

"Dislocated" Erza grimaced "Popped it back in but I can't move it right now. Can't use magic either."

Lucy quickly filled Erza in on everything she knew about the situation they were in, leaving the re-equip mage frowning. Erza sat with her back against a tree, cradling her arm. She quickly took note of what they had. In addition to their chosen weapons, they had been given a small dagger that looked like it would fall apart at any moment, an empty water canister and a small back pack. Not much to start with.

Looking around, Erza spotted a vine hanging from the branch above her. She pulled it down, getting Lucy's help to cut it down and quickly fashioned a makeshift sling for her arm. Lucy hooked the whip to her waist as well as the dagger and the backpack while Erza attached the sword belt over her good shoulder, securing the blade. The forest was brimming with noise, the sounds of birds and the rustling leaves. Both girls didn't know what was out there, and they didn't want to find out.

As they trudged through the foliage with Erza leading the way, Lucy decided to strike up a conversation, the silence unnerving her. "Do you think the others will come?"

Erza stopped for a moment turning back with a smile "Without a doubt. It's Fairy Tail after all"

Reassured, Lucy returned the smile, shaking her head "Yeah. Sorry. I'm still a little shaken up from the whole thing. And to think they're watching us."

"We'll get through this" Erza nodded "together."

Lucy nodded once more, following Erza as they emerged into a clearing, a river cutting across their path. Pulling the canister out from the backpack, Lucy filled it with water, drinking a little as she did so. She handed the canister to Erza, who gratefully accepted it, quenching her thirst before Lucy filled it back up and shoved it back into the bag.

"Lucy. Be very quiet." Erza whispered

Suddenly the forest seemed so much more dangerous. Lucy shifted closer to Erza, hand on her whip as Erza unsheathed her blade. Their eyes cautiously scanned their surroundings. There was a moment of silence, then a pale white figure staggered out of the bushes. It had no eyes, the area where its head should be ending in a long stump, as if its head had been swallowed by its neck. Its leathery skin ran down its body turning black as it reached its limbs, its hands ending with 3 fingers. Its feet ended in large talons, its claws sharp enough to tear through flesh. In one of its hands, it held a large spear, its sharp edge glinting in the light.

Erza placed herself between the creature and Lucy, her blade upright. As the creature approached, Erza steeled herself for an attack, instead it started to make noises, noises that sounded like a mix between a turkey gobble and huffing bear. Whatever it was doing, Erza didn't like it. Her fears were confirmed as more of the white creatures began to appear, each wielding a weapon of their own.

"Shit..." Erza swore "Looks like a pack"

"What do we do." Lucy was nervous, her eyes darting from creature to creature.

"Stay alive!" Erza responded, parrying a creature's blade as it torpedoed towards them. "They're fast!"

Lucy shrieked as she dodged one with an axe, scrambling to her feet as it approached. Lashing out her whip, she caught the creature by the wrist, and with a hard tug brought the creature stumbling towards her. A hard kick to the head brought it down, or so she thought. As Lucy tried to get to Erza, the creature grabbed her by the ankle and sent her crashing to the ground as two more approached.

"Lucy!" Erza yelled, having trouble fending off the creatures going after her, preventing her from going to Lucy's aid

Alone, Erza was going up against 5 creatures and she was losing, badly. In addition to their speed, they were strong. While Erza staggered from one blow, the others came in close, barely giving Erza time to dodge. So far she had escaped with minor scratches, but Erza didn't know how long she could keep it up. Finally, an opening! Erza ducked down low, thrusting her blade upwards and spearing the creature through the chest, the blade bursting out its back, sending its bright blue blood everywhere. It squealed like a dying pig before going limp. Pulling her sword out, Erza turn back to face the others, who seemed to be more hesitant in approaching her.

"Lucy! Are you alright?!" Erza yelled out, eyes never leaving the group surrounding her.

There was no reply, but the dying squeal that reached her ears was all she needed. Erza lunged forward, disarming one creature quickly and killing it before dodging a spear that ended up spearing the creature standing behind Erza. Dropping to the ground, Erza spun, her blade slicing through the talon like feet of the creatures, sending the remaining ones to the ground.

A sharp scream echoed, and Erza rushed forward, stabbing a creature in the back. As it collapsed, she saw one of them moving against the tree. Beneath its body, Erza caught sight of Lucy backed up against the tree with nowhere to go.

"Lucy, put your dagger out!" Erza yelled, catching the creature's attention.

As it spun around, Erza kicked it towards Lucy, impaling it on the short dagger. It writhed and twitched for a moment before letting out a dying squeal, going limp. hurriedly, Erza threw the corpse to the side, ignoring the sound of the dagger snapping at its hilt. She knelt in front of Lucy, who was scratched up but alive. The celestial mage was shaking badly, her eyes unfocused, staring blankly at her hands covered in blue blood.

"Look at me Lucy, Look at me!" Erza directed Lucy's attention to her, bringing the girl back to the world

Scared eyes met hers, and Lucy blinked a couple of times "Er..Erza.."

"Come on, let's get out of here." Erza pressed, looking around at the creatures she had left to stagger around.

Grabbing Lucy's hand, Erza dragged the girl deeper into the forest, not caring where they were headed as long as they were safe. They stumbled over roots and bushes, leaving the white creatures behind as the sun began to set. Tired, they took refuge in a cave, after making sure that it was safe. Erza quickly grabbed a couple of fallen branches nearby, using them to conceal their hiding spot before taking a seat beside Lucy.

The younger girl still shook, tear welling in her eyes. Wordlessly, Erza pulled her closer, Lucy leaning into her embrace. The celestial mage sobbed quietly, Erza trying to calm her down, trying to come to terms with the whole incident herself.

"Lucy." Erza whispered softly "It's okay. I'm here. I'm here."

"How are you so calm?!" Lucy almost shrieked, pushing off Erza "We almost got killed by unknown creatures, stuck here in some crazy guy's game and we have no idea if the others know where we are!"

Taken aback slightly by Lucy outburst, Erza cupped her face gently "We'll get out of this. Have I ever lied to you?"

"No." Lucy replied quietly, her shoulders slumping "I'm sorry. I'm just... I don't understand why this is happening to us."

"Whatever it is, we can't let this guy win." Erza smiled "That, is the Fairy Tail way."

"Erza.. can you.." Lucy mumbled softly, going back to Erza's side

The re-equip mage gently pressed their lips together in a chaste kiss. "You don't even have to ask."

Erza captured Lucy's lips in another kiss, the two momentarily forgetting the world around them. Later that night, Lucy sighed as she laid snuggled next to Erza, who had already fallen into a fitful slumber, recuperating from her injuries. Shifting slightly, Lucy felt the grip on her waist tighten as Erza frowned lightly before relaxing again.

Not many people knew that they were dating, with the exception of Mirajane, who had been the one to push them together in the first place, as well as Makarov, just because Erza felt like he should know since he was the Master. Other than those two, Lucy had told her best friend Levy, who had squealed in glee when she knew, but promised to keep it a secret if Lucy helped her with Gajeel. Lucy wasn't sure who Erza had told, but whoever they were, they kept it a secret too. It was an accomplishment to keep a secret within Fairy Tail, where the news and rumors spread like wildfire once it had been leaked.

If anyone asked how they got together, Lucy wouldn't have known what to say. It wasn't like Erza jumped in and saved her, flirted and romanced her like a knight in shining armor would. Instead, Erza had taken lured her out on a simple delivery mission and had confessed on their way back home. There was nothing romantic about the confession, besides the fact that Erza was literally a knight in shining armor.

Lucy wasn't sure when she had fallen in love with Erza. Maybe it was the time Erza saved them from Jupiter or maybe it was the way she carried herself. Erza was not much older than her, but the difference in experience was just too huge. If she had to be trapped in a crazy man's delusional trap for entertainment, she was glad she was with Erza and not anyone else, although she knew that Erza would have flipped Heaven and Hell just to find her.

"I love you Erza." Lucy whispered, kissing the base of Erza's neck as she finally decided to get some rest.

Erza grunted softly, as though she had heard, pulling the blonde mage closer to her body.

Unbeknownst to them, their every move, their every word was being watched. Illuminated by the many screens in front of him, the mastermind flashed a wide grin, revealing a set of golden fangs

"Two lovers. Looks like this will be interesting." He grinned "Good job."

"Always a pleasure, my Lord" replied the tall skinny man behind him.

"Has their guild responded to our letter?" The mastermind asked, drumming his fingers on the armrest of his chair

"It should have reached them by now, we will hear from them momentarily" came the response'

"Good. I look forward to see how much Fairy Tail can accomplish" came the evil grin, the fangs glinting from the light of the screens.

"Master."

"This is bad" Makarov shook his head gravely "I have heard about this, but for this to happen to them..."

"What are we going to do?"

Makarov paced his office, agitated, his mind in a whirl. Mirajane stood by worriedly, watching him. The old guild Master sat himself down, the crease between his brows deep.

"We need more information." He spoke "We can't afford to approach this carelessly."

"What about Erza and Lucy?" Mirajane asked "We can't just leave them in the hands of this... this madman!"

"From what I know, whenever mages are taken, a notice much like this is sent to their guild. A challenge to find their missing members before they die." Makarov threw the piece of paper disgustedly back onto his desk "However, no one had ever come back alive. The madman makes sure to kill them just as the guild arrives. He takes pleasure in watching the guilds fall apart, a real sicko. Doesn't matter how fast the guild reach them, they will die as they reach their location, that I am sure of."

"Doesn't this mean they are watching us?" Mirajane dropped her voice into a low whisper.

"I believe so." Makarov nodded "We have to keep this under wraps."

"How? Once Natsu and the others find out, they'll go on an all out rampage." Mirajane stressed "They won't be able to keep calm."

Makarov thought for a moment and with a decisive smirk he spoke "We let them rampage, that is what Fairy Tail is all about. He will rue the day he ever messed with a Fairy Tail wizard."

Whew. End of chapter one. And YES, Established ErLu right off the bat!

Suggestions, reviews and criticism would be greatly appreciated.