Arslan P.O.V.
The first day. The team was sitting in a spare room, getting dressed into their team clothes.
"What do we do in these… games?" Arslan asks, breaking the comfortable silence that was layered around them like a blanket.
"Well, we compete against other guilds for the spot as the strongest guild in Fiore." Gray explains. "And these games declare who the winner is." Arslan nods.
"Alright. So it is sort of like the jousting tournaments my Lord Father holds sometimes." Arslan says.
"I… guess, yeah." Gray responds. Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of a voice coming over the speakers, announcing the first team. The Fairy Tail team took this as their queue to leave the room and get in position for their team to be announced. They stood by the opening, waiting, and their team gets announced. They walked out of the hallway and into the arena, smoke flowing around them and then disintegrating when it reached the outside. Their guild symbol lit up in front of them and they walked through it, going to their own little part of the arena.
After the Fairy Tail team another team went, A group of people they recognised came out of the hallway. The Fairy Tail team stared in surprise as Mystogan, Mirajane, Gajeel, Juvia, and Daryun walked out.
"Daryun!" Arslan exclaims. Daryun's head snaps over to face Arslan.
"Hello, Your Highness. Forgive me for not telling you about this. Makarov requested it be kept a secret." He says, walking over to Arslan. His group also heads over to them but makes sure to keep separated.
"I understand your reasoning, Daryun." Arslan says. Daryun's figure seems to sag down just a bit, like a heavy burden has just been lifted from his shoulders. A loud voice comes over amplifiers, blasting through the auditorium, announcing the first game called Hidden. Daryun left for his group and Arslan's group huddled together to decide who would do the first game. A loud voice declared they would go, drawing Gray's attention. As soon as Gray's eyes landed on the man, a fire lit in his eyes.
"I'll do it!" Gray exclaims, finalizing the decision. The rest of the group goes up into the stands in their own section, watching the eight people still down on the field. Gray, the white haired man, and Juvia gathered with each other and waited for the game to start, only to be seperated when a great magical power swept through the arena and walls sprouted up from the ground like weeds, making a small town looking place that the contestants are trapped in, separated from everyone else.
"Lyon? Juvia? Where are you?" Gray yelled. No response. Gray started looking around for any indication for where he is and where the others are. Several people shaped lights fill the empty streets and alleyways and buildings. When the light disappears, several copies of Gray, Juvia, and the other contestants.
"What the hell?" Gray says, noticing the figures, all frozen in one position. "Finding the real people here is going to be impossible." Gray runs around, trying to find someone not frozen.
"You dimwit. You don't have a chance if it takes you this long to figure out the game." Someone says. Gray turns around and glares at the purple person.
"You're with Raven Tail." Gray snarls, saying Raven Tail with disgust. The person smirks.
"Certainly am! Name's Nalpudding." He says.
"Well, it's nice of you to find me. It means I don't have to find you! Ice make, HAMMER!" Gray yells, connecting his fist to his hand and ripping it away leaving a trail of ice in the form of a large hammer. Gray swings the hammer and smashed the guy into the ground. "Thanks for giving me my first point." A beeping sounds and a point is taken away from Fairy Tail instead of given to.
"What the… I clearly just pulled the guy. What gives?" Gray asked. Nalpudding laughs and Gray looks up, seeing Nalpudding coming closer.
"No way." Gray says.
"Nice try. This here's the real thing see." Nalpudding smirks. Gray gets the penalty and is transported to another part of the arena.
"Oh well. At least I learned something. I can use my clone to get close to someone, then when they least expect it, attack them." Gray think out loud. Gray continues on like he is a clone and then he stopped. He looked around the area and saw Nalpudding coming up to him.
"Oh Gray, you're making this too easy." He says, transforming his arms and attacking Gray.
"Come on!" Natsu yells.
"You can do it. Gray!" Happy yells.
"Do not give up, Gray! You shall get the hang of it eventually!" Arslan yells, his voice louder than the others. Gray nods his head with a fierce look on his face, becoming more focused on the game.
Gray starts walking again, heading in a random direction, when giant carrots start heading his way. A girl with red hair and freckles comes out of the ground with a plant underneath her, being attacked. Gray turned and saw someone being attacked by the white haired man, who then in turn was attacked by Juvia.
"I don't plan to lose to you, Juvia. I plan to win." Gray tells her. She nods in agreement.
"I agree. I am also not going to lose because of the promise master made." She says.
"I'm guessing that promise has something to do to me." Gray says, some form of anger in his nods.
"Yes. He said, 'The members of the winning team get to do whatever they want to the members of the losing team for a day." She says. Gray turns towards the stands where the rest of the guild is.
"Are you serious? If that's the case, it has to work if our team wins too!" Gray yells. Makarov sweat drops and nods.
"Yes yes, will do." He says. Gray turns back to Juvia.
"I want my wish, so I don't plan on losing." She says.
"Bring it on." Gray responds before Nalpudding comes back again. He goes to attack Gray and Juvia, and then it starts snowing. Someone gets several points, and then Nalpudding attacks Gray again.
"Really? What's your problem?" Gray asked. They attack each other until some new information comes around about someone named Rufus. The contestants stop to look at Rufus standing on the roof of a building. Rufus starts using his magic making Gray, Juvia, Nalpudding, and every other contestant to start glowing. Only the clones were left not glowing. Rufus starts attacking the contestants, and Nalpudding starts attacking Rufus back, but misses and attacks a clone instead. Rufus attacks Nalpudding and gets put in the lead.
Gray goes to attack Rufus, but Nalpudding goes in front of him and stops Gray from being able to attack by pushing him down. Gray growls quietly and stands back up, but by then the thirty minutes are over and he is in last place. The crowd starts laughing at the Fairy Tail teams making Natsu start yelling at them. Gray walks over to Team A, sulking about his loss.
"I'm sorry I lost." Gray says.
"Don't worry about it. It's only the first game. Lucy says, trying to cheer him up. Arslan walks over to Gray, Daryun soon following out of habit of being near Arslan.
"Do not worry, Gray. You fought well under the pressure of the Games. You should be pleased with how well you did under pressure." Arslan says. Gray's mouth quirks up at the corners.
"Thanks, Arslan." Gray says. Arslan nods before looking at Daryun, a silent conversation passing between them before Daryun nods and Arslan smiles. He waves bye at Gray and walks off in the direction that Rufus is in. He spots a man in a red hat with a feather connected to it and walks over to him.
"Excuse me, are you Rufus?" Arslan asked. The man turns and nods at Arslan.
"I am. Who are you?" Rufus asked back.
"I am Arslan of the Fairy Tail guild. I wanted to congratulate you on your winning the game." Arslan says, bowing his head. "I was impressed with your magical ability, as I have never seen anything like it before. I have not been around the magical society for a while and haven't seen much, but your magic was impressive." Arslan responds.
"Thank you, Arslan. Although our guilds are enemies during the games, I hope that will not come between a friendship between us."
"Of course it will not. As long as you do not do anything that would warrant any concern about your behavior, I do not see any problem with being friends."
"Wonderful." Rufus smiles. "While we wait for the next competition, would you like to meet my guildmates?"
"That would be wonderful." Arslan smiles. "Just let me tell my guard and I will be with you."
"Guard? What do you need a guard for?"
"Well, people from where I am from do not really like my Lord Father, the king, so I needed protection so I would not be kidnapped. And then during the war, he came with me and became my permanent guard."
"A prince! It is an honor, Sire." Rufus says, bowing down.
"Oh, you do not need to do that here. My status as prince is not the same here as it is back at my home world. " Arslan waves his hands, waving off the gesture hurriedly.
"Nonsense! A prince is a prince and should be treated like one."
"Alright, I guess." Arslan says, sweat dropping. He turns and catches Daryun's eye and makes a gesture, signifying that he is with Rufus. Daryun nods, although his guard increases significantly. "I have told my guard that I am with you, so whenever you are ready, we can go."
"Alright, Prince Arslan. Let us go!" Rufus says, guiding Arslan over to where his teammates are seated.
"Sting, Rogue, Yukino, Orga, Frosch, Lector. This is Prince Arslan from the Fairy Tail guild." Rufus introduced. The guild members immediately sat up straight and tried to play it cool. Arslan smiled in greeting.
"Pleasure to meet you, Sabertooth Team. I hope that even though our guilds are on opposite teams during the games, we can be friends." Arslan says.
"Of course, Prince Arslan." Sting says stiffly. Arslan sighs.
"You do not have to be like that around me, I do not mind. Just be yourselves." Arslan says. The team waits a few second before they sigh and slouch down in their seats again.
"So, Prince Arslan. What are you doing here and not with your team?" Sting asks.
"I do not mind the games that much. I would rather be friends and fight for fun than enemies fighting for life." Arslan explains. "Back where I am from, we are in the middle of a war. It is… not good. Bloody. I have been betrayed by my closest friends because they want to get the throne. I would rather avoid that while I can." The team nods in understanding, before Frosch and Lector break to the front of the group.
"I'm Lector, and this is Frosch!" The red cat announces, raising his arm in the air. Arslan's appearance changes into a calmer one, more relaxed and happy at seeing the Exceeds.
"It is nice to meet you, Lector, Frosch. I have friends back in Fairy Tail that are exceeds like you too." Arlan says, scratching them behind their ears, earning a pur from them.
"Really?" Lector asks. Arslan hums and nods.
"Yeah. Their names are Happy and Carla. I'm sure they would be happy to meet you guys sometime." Arslan responds. He had sat down and pulled Frosch into his lap gently, completely forgetting about the other people watching him carefully. Lector sits next to Arslan, crossing his arms and trying to act like he isn't interested in Arslan, even though his presence brings a calming sense to him. Arslan scratched behind Frosch's ears and under his chin, getting a long, soft purring noise from the exceed in return. A clearing of the throat reminds Arslan of the other people in the room. He looks over at the Sabertooth Team and smiles.
"I am sorry, but I seem to have become friends with your exceed friends." Arslan apologizes, but does not stop scratching Frosch's ears, his other hand picking up Lector and setting him in his lap to scratch his ears as well. With both the cats purring on his lap, Sting and Rogue look at him warily.
"I promise I do not have any malicious intent towards your exceed friends." Arslan says, mistaking the wary looks as ones of protective intent.
"That is not what we are worried about. We are just amazed you got on Lectors good side so quickly." Sting says. Arslan nods his head in understanding.
"I have always had a way with people and animals." Arslan tells them. After that is cleared up,
They get along great, laughing and joking around for a few hours before Arslan has to go.
"I should head back to my guild now. It is getting to be about five, and the next event is about to start. Pleasure meeting you. I do hope we never fall on the opposing end of each others magic. Until later." Arslan says, standing up and waving to the team. They wave at him, smiling a kind smile until Arslan leaves the group alone and goes to his group.
"So, what did you guys think of him?" Rufus asked immediately after Arslan is out of earshot.
"I like him. He is a good kid. We may have beef with Fairy Tail, but we should leave him out of it. He has just joined not that long ago." Sting says.
"I agree." Rogue says, shocking them all.
"Well, you heard what they said. He is a nice kid. I would like to continue the our friendship with him. A secret from the master, of course." Rogue says. The rest of them nod in agreement.
"Alright. So it is decided." Sting smiles, standing up. "Protect Arslan. Keep him out of the fight we have with Fairy Tail."