Author's Note: Let's see how some of our Olympic homies are doing after getting into Era. Also I'm re-watching the final season of Fairy Tail so I'm getting all these Alvarez characters pretty fresh in my mind!

Also, I do not own Fairy Tail.

Chapter Twenty-Two - Setting the World Stage

"Uhh?"

Natsu and Lucy both froze as they stood on the second floor of the very crowded Olympic headquarters building in downtown Era. Jellal stood back from his new wife, Erza, who had spent her recent moments glaring down the guest to their front.

Irene Belserion took the back of her fingers and brushed a wave of her crimson red hair upward. "Oh, what a rude way to introduce your friends and your mother. I knew you never had any respect for me, but at least try putting on an act of politeness for their sakes."

"Grr!" Erza stepped forward, but Jellal held her back by one arm before the two could make the second floor turn into a blood bath. She shook with rage in her husband's grip as her dearest mother filled in the remaining blanks.

"Very well, I suppose I'll just have to give myself the proper introduction. I'm the assistant coach of the Alvarez National Team. I work with the great August Vermillion, and beneath me is an interning senior from Vistarian College, Dimaria Yesta. Together we look to win Alvarez it's third basketball gold medal in a row."

"Ergh, you're with Alvarez!?" Natsu was now slowly mimicking Erza's fury, which led Lucy to hold out her hand to grab him by the arm as well.

The daughter confessed. "She's originally from Fiore. She played in the WFBA for a few years before marrying my father."

Irene rolled her eyes. "Ah, and I hope that wash-up fool is doing okay. I imagine you barely speak to him as well. Such a spiteful little daughter we raised."

"Well yea, judging by the way you talk to her, I'd talk the same way." Lucy stepped up with Natsu to share her own thoughts. "Erza's had one of the most successful careers the sport of basketball has ever seen. She was a college all-star for Hargeon, then became the first woman to ever win an FBA trophy as a coach."

"Did she?" Irene gawked. "And you think I had no prior knowledge of that, silly girl? I would have hoped that the daughter of the Magnolia Fairies former owner would have realized why she was hired in the first place. It was because of her last name, not her first."

Lucy and Jellal gasped, while Natsu's teeth were starting to bare fangs. Erza, meanwhile, kept her angry eyes down low.

Irene decided to further educate her surrounding company. "She was never good enough to make it into the WFBA as a player, herself, so she stole her father's playbook and tried to market herself as a star prospect rookie coach. She then landed on the most stacked team in Fiore history. From there the great Makarov Dreyar handed it over to her and set her up with the easiest job in the league. All because of her family name."

"Her leadership won us our most recent title." Jellal defended his spouse. "And she counseled Coach Dreyar her rookie year to help us win our first."

"Ignore her." Erza finally turned away and took Jellal by the hand. "I'm only wasting my energy here, and I'm putting my friends in an awkward position. We'll speak again on the court, mother. There, we can…"

"YOU'LL BE LUCKY TO EVEN CALL A PLAY ONCE WE BEAT YOUR TEAM SO BAD, LADY! NO ONE TALKS TO ERZA LIKE THAT AND GETS AWAY WITH IT!"

"Hmm?" Irene put a well-manicured finger to her pouty red lip, glossed with deep red lipstick. "Well I didn't want to say anything, but you must be the famous Salamander, after all. Natsu Dragneel. What an unexpected joy for me to find you, here."

Erza's eyes were open wide after that rage-filled outburst by her star point guard. Jellal and Lucy were taken back too, and none of them were now able to keep him from carrying on.

"Ya know? Everyone keeps telling me how famous I am, today." Natsu spoke through his teeth and never took his eyes off Irene. "Guess it's a good thing that all you people know me so well already, since I plan on winning Fiore that Gold medal. I'm not letting that crappy country of yours, or anyone else get in my way!"

"Oh, sporting a bit of racism, are we?" Irene teased. "No, I merely jest. I, myself, am originally from Fiore, as my lovely daughter previously mentioned."

"I could give a damn about you or Alvarez." Natsu ripped himself from Lucy's grip and walked forward. "I made a promise to someone really special to me that I'd beat Alvarez, or any other group that got in our way from making it to the top. This year's Games means more to me than it does to you or anyone else in this stupid building."

"I would not be so quick to believe that, young Salamander. You have no idea how deep our roster is…the power we possess as a dominant athletic powerhouse." Iren turned from the young group and located a few fellow Alvarez bodies coming her way.

"However, I enjoy keeping secrets, so I'll just let our talent reveal themselves to you here in the next few days. Fiore is set to take on Alvarez for Game 1 in the tournament. Enjoy the festivities until then."

"Irene, we have what we need." A tall, elderly man with a great wizard's beard, and large robed overcoat made his way to the crimson haired assistant. With him was a beautifully young blond woman with dark red eyes, and a smirking smile that made Irene's look friendly.

The old man tapped his walking stick on the ground, and never changed his facial expression to address the others. "We'll save our introduction for Sunday. Come."

Irene never replied, nor gave him a nod. She simply turned away and left the Fairies with a departing wave.

"A wonderful chat, Erza. We'll see each other Sunday."

Erza's head was lower than before, and while her eyes narrowed, a small drop fell from them as she looked down.

A hand settled on her left shoulder, and Natsu spoke from behind her.

"Don't worry, we'll get her back for ya."

"Natsu…" Erza looked back at him. She took a moment to collect herself, then wiped away her tears.

After showing a new smile, she gave Natsu a long hug, then followed by showing the same respect for Lucy. Finally, she kissed Jellal, then took his arm as she gave the other two a final nod.

"We all need to get some rest. We have a long two-week journey ahead of us, starting today."

Gray Fullbuster leaned to the side of his seat and put his chin on his hand as he stared at the floating ice in his glass of water. He was out for lunch in downtown Era, as he and some friends decided to fill their stomachs before parting ways for their respective lodging.

Juvia sat nervously beside him and watched him with nervous eyes as she tried to gage his emotional state. "Gray, dear. Are you feeling okay?"

"He looks hungry." Meldy teased as she put both elbows on the table and laid her chin on her hands. "I think he's about to eat all his ice just for an appetizer!"

"I may do the same." Lyon pulled on the collar of his mint green polo shirt as he looked around for service. "It's too hot in this restaurant to order anything warm, and the waitress hasn't come back with our actual drink orders, yet. Where in blazes did she run off to?"

"I'm so sorry if the service is bad!" Juvia pleaded swiftly. "The reviews said 9 Lives was the best restaurant in the city, and I was in the mood for something a little more upscale ever since we landed."

"No, he's not mad at you, Juvia!" Meldy held her cousin by the hand. "He's just nervous for this week, right, Lyon?"

"Yes, please don't worry your lovely little head, Juvia." Lyon calmly replied. "I can probably speak for our stubborn friend here as well. This is going to be quite the level of competition for us all."

"You can say that again. The Olympic tournament is some of the best basketball the world has to offer. Fiore always makes it out without winning the gold because the competition is so high, not because we're lousy."

"Well, we know Lucy and Erza will force Natsu and Jellal to head in early, tonight. I hope Yukino makes Sting and Rogue go to be early. I guess they're going out to eat with one of your coaches though, so I'm sure we have nothing to worry about from at least half the team."

"True." Juvia agreed. "The only person I'd be worried about is that Bacchus fellow, and maybe Gajeel. It's almost a little bizarre seeing so much talent playing on the same team as my beloved."

"It truly is." Lyon grinned as he looked out the window. "I don't wish to belittle our opponents, but I personally believe that the twelve men Precht and the committee chose for our roster are the greatest talents in all the FBA."

"All of Fiore, not the FBA." Gray sharply replied as he took kept his eyes looking out the daytime window.

"What?" Juvia felt surprised to hear him say that. "I feel the same way Lyon does, my Love. Do you not agree?"

Gray sighed. "Face it, only half our team has won a championship trophy in the FBA, and the five guys that did it for Magnolia only did so the past two years. There's only one team in Fiore history whose won four back-to-back titles in the FBA, and unlucky for us, none of them are from Fiore at all. Actually, they may be one of our opponents, this tournament…"

*SLAM*

Meldy jumped as someone's foot rudely ran into the leg of their table, and the four lunch mates looked up as a half-drunken man wonder by in a confident stupor.

"AHA! This place is so lousy, it deserves to be blown to smithereens! What a waste of time!"

"I can't speak to such extremes." Sade a slightly calmer voice from behind the man in their exit. "But the cuisine was not of a high quality. We'll have to share our business with other establishments for the duration of our stay."

"Geeze, and you ate all yours, Tempest!" The first man sharply replied as he rudely yelled for other tables to hear. "I almost threw mine up!"

"Quiet, Jackel. You're making a scene." Said a loud brute of a man coming from behind. "Find the exit, and get us out of here, at once."

"Why the hell should I?" Jackel turned around and got in the face of his large teammate. "Just because we're on the same national team doesn't mean you're still my captain, got that, asshole!"

"Speaking of the idiots." Gray finally let a smirk take his face as he turned from the window. "Just when things were starting to grow boring in here."

"Huh?" Jackel turned around and recognized the two Fiore men sitting inside the booth. "Well if it isn't Fullbuster and Vastia! Buncha Fiore goons coming out for lunch!"

"You call us goons, and yet you're the ones who rudely bumped into my girlfriend?" Lyon pulled Meldy into his side. "I should have expected we'd see you Tartaros fools here eventually."

"Not all of us play for that team, anymore. Some of us returned home to play in Alegria." Tempest turned to look at Jackal, who gave up his starting point-guard spot for the dynasty Tartaros Devil team after losing the finals game to Natsu and Magnolia two years prior.

Jackal was now fighting two separate fronts as he turned to his own teammate. "Watch your mouth, or I'll make that crappy lunch of yours come flyin' back out of it."

"I don't wish for any of my players to cause a sparring scene, Jackal. Leave at once!" The large man, now clearly identified as the Alegria team captain Torafuzer, pointed to the door.

"Whatever, just quit bothering all of us, will ya?" Gray gently draped his arm around Juvia's shoulders, and noticed her face was now the same shade of red as their bench cushion. "We're just tryin' to enjoy ourselves before tomorrow's festivities. I'm sure that movie villain head coach of yours probably has some back-ally meeting planned for you people sometime this evening."

"And who do you plan to celebrate those festivities with, traitor?!" Jackal smirked and bent down to look at Gray. "You have some famous Alegrian blood runnin' through those veins of yours. How does that dad Silver feel about you swapping flags so easily?"

"The great Silver Fullbuster moved to Fiore on his own accord, Jackal." Torafuzer replied. "His son seems to be honoring his own code. Let him be, and let us leave."

"Psssh, whatever!" Jackal took Juvia's water and downed it in one go. He slammed the cup back on the table and marched toward the door. "We'll find those clowns on the court, that is if they can even make it out of Group A with Alvarez AHAHA!"

"Let me out of the booth, Juvia." Gray's arms were starting to swell, and his eyes were cold as steel. Juvia shook nervously and held his hand in a pleading grip.

"No, i-it's fine! I-I wasn't even thirsty anymore. I can get another one once the…"

"What she means to say, Gray, is that you're behaving too recklessly." Lyon shot back as he eyed Tartaros leaving the restaurant. "Let's not forget your own friend and teammate assaulted a man back in a Magnolia bar only a few months ago. Don't give Coach Hades any reason to send you home. We'll get those buffoons back one way or another."

"Yea, sure…" Gray felt slightly defeated, but slid his glass of water over to Juvia. He then watched as their waitress returned with what appeared to be the restaurant owner to check on their needs.

"I'm so sorry, are you folks alright?" The girl asked concernedly. "Those Alegrian players went way past their limit at the bar, earlier. We heard them bump your table from across the room."

"Lousy jerks." The old owner, whose bright orange hair almost looked like it hid cat ears underneath, shook his fist at the door. "I can't stand these stupid Olympic Games!"

"Grandfather!" The girl spoke back. "We can't be so rude in front of other athletes! I'm sorry I was late with your drinks; we'll bring you back your first round on the house."

"Thank you, Miss." Lyon suavely replied. "But we're quite alright with paying it. What was your name, again?"

"Oh, it's Michelia. My grandfather, Michello, is the restaurant owner."

"Yea…I've owned this place for over a decade." The small man replaced his hands-on top of his small walking stick. "I used to be a member of the International Olympic Committee, but then I grew sick of it and called in an early retirement. An old friend of mine suggested I get into the restaurant business, and here I am with 9 Lives."

"Pretty similar to a place we got back home." Gray looked at the menu and logo for the establishment. "A former basketball player by the name of Yajima owns a place in Crocus called 8-Island. He'll be in town for the Games as a basketball announcer."

"I know who he is, you ignorant brat!" Michello turned away as quickly as he could. "That fool was the one who told me to start this business in the first place! Lousy athletes and their good for nothing arrogance. These stupid Games, I just can't believe they…"

"Please ignore him, we'd love to see you all return while you're in town." The young granddaughter, Michelia, seemed much nicer than her familial employer as the feline owner mumbled to himself in his retreat.

Gray shrugged and looked at the others with agreement. "We're cool with it, as long as the food's tasty. We are here for two weeks, after all."

On the other side of town, outside a rather popular town ice-cream parlor, we find a scene of more familiar faces.

"Awe come on! Just try it!" Sting was holding up his spoon to his protesting girlfriend's face.

Yukino's head reared back as she blocked his advance. "Please no! I'm not a fan of mint in my desserts!"

"Oh whatever, stick to your boring vanilla…" Sting shrugged, and let up his tease as he took another bite of mint chocolate chip while looking across the table. "I'm surprised our fair lady is letting her basketball all-stars go out for a sweet treat before the big tournament."

Minerva Orland delicately shrugged as she politely took another spoonful of her mixed flavored bowl. "We have two days before the Games begin, right? I figured we can at least enjoy ourselves a little while we're across the world. Besides, this idea beats seeing the lot of you getting too drunk in a tavern for lunch."

She took another bite and nudged the person to her left. "It should also be noted that Rogue here was the one to suggest this little excursion. I was ready to head in for a nice trip to the Olympic Village spa. I haven't even seen my room yet."

Yukino replied first, since Sting kept his mouth full, and Rogue felt too nervous to say anything just yet. "I hope your rooms are all okay! I'll be staying with Meldy and Juvia for the month. I don't know Juvia very well, but she seems very nice."

"Yea, just don't go saying anything bad about Gray." Sting chuckled, then shrugged his shoulders with a laugh as he looked at Rogue. "Or for that matter, you might not want to say anything good about him either, am I right, Rogue?"

"Um, oh yes. She can be very sharp-tongued." Rogue poked his chocolate treat awkwardly until Minerva rolled her eyes and took his spoon.

"Here. If you're going to suggest we all do this as a group, then you should at least have the decency to partake." She took the spoon to his mouth and force-fed him from there. "Honestly, you need a coach just for everyday activities."

"Pshhhhshsh…" Sting turned his face away to try and hide his laughter, while Yukino felt her face growing warmer.

"Oh my, that's one way to enjoy each other's company…" Yukino tried to return the conversation back to normal before Sting started picking on Rogue again. "Um, so Rogue? Why is it that you wanted to take us all out after lunch?"

"I thought it'd be nicer if we spent most of our downtime together…plus the little mascots the ice-cream parlor had in the window seemed very amusing to me. I like the little frog one."

"Um…I think that's a cat, buddy." Sting turned to look at the building's ad-covered window as he tried narrowing his eyes for a second analysis. "Or I dunno, maybe you're right. Is he a cat wearing some kinda frog suit…?"

"Well maybe we can go out shopping if the rest of you finish any time today." Minerva laid a napkin neatly inside her empty bowl, which totally baffled the others at the table.

"HOLY COW!" Sting nearly fell out of his seat. "You ate all six scoops of yours before anyone else finished! Talk about crazy dedication!"

"I'm not sure that's the best way to describe it." Minerva settled into her chair while the others finished their midday dessert. "But while we're speaking of dedication; why did the two of you wish to compete in these Games?"

"Huh?" Sting and Rogue simultaneously rang out as the latter spoke first. "To honor our country and sport, obviously."

"No, I mean your personal reasons." Minerva rolled her eyes at Rogue's simplicity. "The Salamander is trying to prove he can defeat Alvarez and win the Gold Medal for Magnolia. Gray Fullbuster wants to show the world that Fiore is his one true home. Jellal has a wife to impress, Gajeel's dating his boss who probably pressured him into it. All the veterans had their own reasons for returning…But why you two?"

The table grew silent, yet Yukino felt her ears growing figuratively larger as she also wished to hear the answer to this question. Finally, Sting dropped a spoon inside his empty bowl, and leaned back on his chair with his hands raised behind his head.

"Well I can't speak for the Frog lover, here, but I had a little chat with Lyon over the last few months. The only real reason he wanted to join the national team is because he wanted to prove that he was just as good, if not better than Gray. Right now, the Magnolia Fairies are the best team in the FBA, so all those guys are basically untouchable for the next year or so…but now that we're all on the same team, we have the chance to say we're just as good as they are, and maybe even beat some of them out for starting spots. It's a little friendly rivalry."

Sting then looked at a few Olympic billboards and posters lined up on some of the downtown buildings along the streets. Full building-sized displays of certain athletes dotted ads across the city, but one very broad picture of a familiar fiery pink-haired point guard took his vision in that moment.

"Natsu's one of my best friends, but he's also my rival, and a fierce competitor. If he's going to reach the top and be the best in the sport of basketball, then I want to challenge him for that same role."

Yukino's copper colored eyes were lit up like streetlights after hearing that confession, while Minerva felt a small smile grow from her lips. Rogue mimicked her and nodded as he turned to look at a reflection of himself in a nearby window.

"And I don't want to be stuck in Gajeel's shadow forever. I'm the best forward in the league. I want to give him just as much as a fight as he gives me."

"Quite admirable, for the both of you." Minerva nodded, then clapped her hands together. "Perhaps this calls for a second meal this evening when we're all done checking in. Maybe we can even share in a few alcoholic beverages together before the true show begins tomorrow."

"Sounds good to me!" Sting nodded but leaned forward to look Minerva right in the eye. "But before we go planning any parties…why did you want to coach us?"

"Excuse me?" Minerva was caught off guard. "I was an FBA finalist head coach for one of the best teams in the league. The Fiore Olympic Committee and Coach Gaebolg personally asked me to be a part of their team."

"Right." Sting admitted. "But why'd you accept? Did your new co-worker have anything to do with it?"

"Gsh…" Minerva turned away with her arms crossed, which mildly sacred Yukino as she tried to back Sting up.

"Oh, Erza Scarlet is not a bad person, Minerva! Lucy introduced me to her not too long ago. She is very thoughtful and caring."

"As if I even care." Minerva's black eyes looked as sharp as obsidian now while she looked down to the street. "I've shared a relationship with that girl far more than any of her other friends."

"Yes, we know your two families go back." Rogue sighed, trying not to turn over to look at his date. "Both of your fathers are league legends, and the two of you played on the same college team. Then she beat you in the Finals, this past year…you want to prove you're better than she is, but you cannot compare that to the motivation shared by Sting and me to beat Natsu and Gajeel."

"What?!" Minerva's head turned to her other side in a sharp twist as she opened her eyes widely to scan Rogue. "And why is that exactly?"

Rogue let out another sigh, then looked her right in the eye. "Friendly rivalries and petty rivalries are not the same thing. Also, Erza does not share the same nasty level of competition that you do…she's only here to prove something to her mother."

"…" Minerva responded with total silence, then leaned back in her chair. She had noticed Erza growing more a more tense as the two weeks of practice carried on. She originally felt that she and her scarlet-haired rival were starting to grow more friendly to one another, but as they made their way into this recent week, the proud Coach Titania almost behaved like she was too good or too focused for Minerva's time.

Yukino was about to grow teary-eyed for the second time that sitting, while Sting simply slapped the table with both hands, and laughed out loud.

"HAH! Oh man, well I'm buying the first-round, tonight, if we chose to hang out like this again. You people are all too much fun!"

Finally, back inside the confines of the great Olympic Village, a very annoyed Gajeel was being followed by a loud as usual Natsu after locating their bags from the team charter bus earlier in the afternoon.

"Look at all this stuff! This place looks like a five-star resort! These building are awesome!" Natsu could not help but admire the high rising dormitory stacks that made up the grand village in the northern sector of the city Era.

The farthest north neighborhood was the main grounds for all the Olympic sporting venues, then to the side was a long and narrow stretch of property that buffered the Grand Olympic Park from the rest of Era to the east. This section was the Olympic Village, high-end housing for the greatest athletes in the world, and showcasing as their home for the next two weeks of competition.

It was also a very green neighborhood, since it only ever housed tenants every four two years for summer and winter editions of the Games. Natsu's eyes wondered up the side of every building he and Gajeel passed as they all looked half-decorated with relaxing athletes and dangling flags and banners that hung from balconies, honoring many different countries from around the world.

"So everyone just hangs their country flags from their porches like that? We need to go buy a Fiore flag and hang it from our place, man!"

"Just take one from an athlete out of a crappier sport. I'm sure the bowling bros won't mind if we steal some of their hardware, hehe…"

"No way, I want our own! Something big and flashy! It has ta show everyone that we're the real deal in this place! We want ta make Fiore look warm an inviting to everybody else!" Natsu waved at more crazed athletes from around the green park space as he tried to appear as friendly as possible. "Geeze, I know we're pro athletes, which is more than some of these other guys, but why are all these foreign people so familiar with us?"

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about." Gajeel scoffed. "I don't have some sissy shoe fan club like you do, you moron. Lousy commercial deals just make you look like a walking mannequin. I choose to let my game do my talking…"

"OH MY GOD! THAT'S BLACK STEEL GAJEEL!" Yelled one Team Fiore shouting from his balcony.

"YEA IT IS!" Cried another. "LET'S GO OUT FOR KARAOKE LATER TONIGHT, BLACK STEEL!?"

"Heehee…" Natsu teased from the back of the pack as he looked up at his friend. "Ya let your game do the talking and the singing is more like it."

"Agh, shut up!" Gajeel turned sharply for their building, which was nearly full of Fiore flags up the side as he grabbed the door handle to their entrance. "Where the hell is Blondie when you need her? I can't say I enjoy her any more than you, but she at least knows how to shut you up."

They rose through a long elevator ride and emerged on the top floor of the high-rising apartment complex. The Olympic village subdivides their sections by countries, starting with some of the larger countries first, then the smaller. Fiore was a middle-sized land, but they were some of the fiercest Olympians in the games. This gave them one of the nicest buildings every tournament, and the more high-profile your sport, the better your view of the city.

"NO WAY!" Natsu jumped up and down outside his room door. "We got penthouse access!"

"We're professional basketball players, you idiot." Gajeel swiped the key to his door and opened the lock. "Ya think they give the good rooms to the horse riding people?

When they found their way inside, Natsu realized just what it meant to be a world-class athlete. The room looked as nice as his luxury apartment room back in Magnolia, but only if a maid came around 24/7 to clean it up and make it look commercial ready.

The best part was the crystal-clear view of the beautiful Era skyline that stretched behind their living room, which flanked into two separate wings giving Natsu and Gajeel separate bedrooms. Their balcony also looked down into the courtyard space of the village.

"Thank god." Gajeel walked over and tossed his things into the left room. "I didn't need you as a roommate, but I can at least deal with a situation like this."

"Hey, I'm not going to enjoy this either, pal. Just tryin' ta make the best of a bad situation. Plus, Lucy and Levy are such good friends, so the least we can do is be nice to each other for them."

"Oh whatever, Salamander…hey looks like we got some fancy gift bag." Gajeel noticed his freshly made bed lined with designer throw pillows was decorated at the foot with clean white towels, and a complimentary sports bag chock full of gifts from their hosts.

"Oh yea!" Natsu tossed his stuff down and shouted through the doors over to Gajeel as he dumped the contents of his gift out on his own king-sized bed. "Lucy said those Olympic guys give us free stuff! I wonder what made her so freaked out when she said goodbye to me at the main gate…?"

Natsu stopped in mid-sentence as the array of athletic drinks, granola bars, gift cards, and fresh Olympic-brand clothing landed on the floor. All of that, however, was buried under a small mountain of the last thing Natsu expected to receive as a complimentary gift.

"U-uhh." Natsu's eyes started to twitch as he looked at his covered bed. "Hey Gajeel…you seein' what I'm seein'?"

"I dunno." Gajeel yelled back calmly. "Was your bag full of condoms too?"

Natsu looked back down at his free stuff, which was buried under what appeared to be around 40 or so prophylactic condoms, decorated with a special Olympic packaging. He picked a few up, then let out a laugh.

"Heehee. I wonder if they have any of those goofy rings on them…awe man, never mind." The grown child tossed the freshly opened item into his bathroom trashcan and went back into the common room. "Geeze, they think we're going to be in the room the whole time, or something? You'd have to be getting' pretty busy to use all those things up!"

"I dunno." Gajeel wondered out of his room in one of the new t-shirts gifted to him from the bag as he landed on the couch. "I hear this place gets pretty crazy. Lots of boozing and hook-ups. Kind of like a college campus for all good lookin' people."

"Really?" Natsu's ears perked up as he looked out the window at all the newly arriving Olympic athletes occupying the green courtyard. "I thought we weren't even allowed to have alcohol?"

"Beats me." Gajeel flashed through the local TV channels as he stared at the screen. "Maybe if ya get one of those big obnoxious flags like you were talking about, we can bump up our cred and host a real big rager right here in our room. I'm sure Lucy will appreciate that, hehe. Or at least she'll be thankful for all those new little toys you got in that bag of yours."

"No way she would!" Natsu mindlessly argued back as he remembered how many condoms were inside the giftbag. "I mean not THAT many times, at least! You'd have to be a crazy person if you wanted to hook up with somebody that badly in only two weeks!"

"NATSU! I THOUGHT I HEARD YOUR VOICE IN THERE, MY LOVE!" A slam came over their door as a girl's voice yelled through the hallway. "I'M ONE FLOOR DOWN, JUST BELOW YOUR BALCONY! WHAT A ROMANTIC COINCIDENCE!"

"AGH!" Natsu's face turned pale as he ran to the front door and swiped all the locks on as he peeped through the sight hole. "Oh no, it's that crazy Tonka girl! How the hell did she know what room I was in!?"

"Well I was gonna say it's because your voice is more annoying than hers, but now I'm not so sure about that…" Gajeel picked his ear clean with his pinky as he flicked it over to the bay window as the girl continued to yell and strike the door from the hallway. "Plus, you left the screen door open to the balcony. She must have heard us talkin' and rushed up here ta get an autograph or something."

"Nope, I don't think that's what she wants…" Nastu's slid down to the floor as he leaned on the door. "But now I know what Lucy meant when she made that same joke to me earlier…and after seeing all those condoms the freaky Olympic guys gave us, I know why this girl wanted to see me alone!"

The pounding on the door eventually faded, and the fearful yelling from outside turned into delicate pleas as Touka wonder back down the hallway.

"Alright, I'm terribly sorry for bothering you like that, Natsu…I'll just leave my room and phone number here in case you wake up…and start feeling lonely."

A piece of paper slid into Natsu's backside from beneath the doorway as the girl left for the elevator. Natsu took the paper, then crumpled it up as he walked slowly into his room.

"I'm takin' a nap. Wake me up when the opening ceremonies start."

"Those are tomorrow, dumbass." Gajeel smirked as he finally found something interesting come on the television. "But okay, have it your way, lover boy. Heehee…"

1. Irene is savage. Quite the Scarlet Despair. Natsu and the others won't back down, though. Sawa. little bit of August and Dimaria too...

2. Gray and co. have reunited with Tartaros, though now they all play for Alegria's National Team. Plus Michello and granddaughter are here. More little FT Easter eggs!

3. I wrote the first half of this chapter, then thought about what to do next. Then I thought about Sting and his gang! I think the Sabertooth scene was good enough as a result. Rogue's sucha goof.

4. Gajeel and Natsu experience full Olympic treatment in the Village, then Natsu's biggest fan shows back up...onto the ceremonies next time!