After going through a moment of despair, they all soon found themselves standing before individuals who wore long blue cloaks. It all started with a white bird landing on top of Erza's head, and like the old fashion way, it had a little note attached to it leg. That's what led them into going into the forest way past the inn they were staying at... were they even staying there after all this time though? Anyway, the individuals who called them over there purposely hid their identities by keeping their hoods on their heads. Four people stood before them, but they could sense no ill intent. They didn't even need to ask for the hoods to come off. The four of them took them off without hesitation, revealing their identities to them.
It was Ultear, Jellal, Meldy, and Lukius.
Aside from Jet, Droy, and Levy, there was no one in this group who didn't recognize at least one face.
Gray and Karissa remembered what Lyon told them when they returned from Tenrou Island.
...
...
...
You two know about the three ex-Grimoire Heart members named Ultear, Meldy and Lukius?"
"Yeah, what's going on with them?" Gray propped up one leg to rest his arm on it.
"Apparently, they've established a certain guild called Crime Sorcière. But that isn't all, they've also given membership to Jellal Fernandes after breaking him out of jail."
"What?!" Karissa gaped. "I thought he would be in some sort of maximum security prison considering his crimes..."
"I don't know." Lyon shrugged. "I just know that he is now with that guild. They've been taking down dark guilds for the past seven years. However, their ultimate goal is to defeat the Black Wizard, Zeref."
...
...
...
Well, now there was absolute proof that Jella escaped that prison.
Ultear revealed to everyone that it was her, Meldy, and Lukius that broke out Jellal from that prison. Well, mostly Ultear.
Karissa turned her head to look at Lukius. Literally, just yesterday, he was a boy with shaggy orange hair that hid one his pink-crystal eyes. Today, he was much taller, and his face was no longer obscured by his hair. It was style in a manner that spiked a bit. He also looked much more confident as he stood next to Meldy who waved at Juvia. When he sensed Karissa's eyes on him, he turned to her and gave her his own wave with a smile.
Whoa! He grew up into a good looking guy! Puberty was nice to you!
"Hello, Karissa." Lukius greeted. "Doing well?"
"Uh, yeah."
If she had to admit something, it was kind of weird to take this Lukius and connect it to the one she was most familiar with. After all, the one she knew wanted to kill her so that the one next to him wouldn't have to. Now, this new Lukius was friendly and smiling.
And also...
...
...
...
The secondary magic that Lukius wielded definitely felt of the same nature as Hystoran's. However, Lukius' proficiency in it was much better. It hurt more than Hystoran's. She didn't want to get hit by it anymore.
Karissa grabbed him by the front of his cloak, his eyes widened, crystal pink met dark brown once again, but crystal pink narrowed. He added Penitence to her body which made her waver and wince when it became unbearable. The weight of his magic was almost crushing her knees.
But she clenched her teeth and held his cloak tightly, shouting and then shoving him into the ground so ruthlessly.
Lukius gasped in pain when he felt the air get knocked out of him. His lack of concentration removed the weight from her body.
The determination. The will to survive. The greed to win. He could see it all swirling in her dark brown eyes. There was the intent to do serious harm in them as well if he continued to fight. She created ice knuckles around her free hand and looked down at him almost psychotically. She was going to jam it in his face until he passed out.
As a desperate attempt to free himself, Lukius grabbed the wrist of the hand holding him and proceeded to unleash an unmerciful attack just as her fist collided with his face. Her left arm felt like it was getting teared apart with the flickers of black whipping around and slashing her arm. Her sleeve was getting shredded up to her shoulder, her t-shirt's sleeve was also shredded. It was already painful enough since it was the same arm she used to shield herself. Much like her, Lukius was persistent on winning, and now her pain receptors were screaming at her to pull away.
"Oww!" Karissa reeled away; her arm bloody in pain, hissing. Lukius pulled his knee up and aimed a kick at her with the same sparks around it. She rolled over, dodging his magic and forced herself up on her feet, holding her arm, while he was making a move to get up. She spun around while he sat up and aimed the back of her foot into his jaw. He fell on his side from the impact, lessening the penitence once more.
...
...
...
Yeah. There was still that issue of his magic being so alike to Hystoran's. Just what kind of magic was that? If she had the chance, maybe she could ask Lukius what it is? After all, it didn't look like they were enemies right now. And if she rememebered correctly, Lukius' reason for fighting was for Meldy. The pink haired mage looked just fine.
"Jellal escaped prison?!" Lucy took a step back, shocked.
"Those two... are from Grimoire Heart." Natsu remembered.
Gray was quick to stop them. "Hey, hold on. They're not our enemies now." He looked to Ultear for confirmation. The last time they met, they were on better terms compared to when they fought.
"We aren't. No matter what I do, the crimes I committed in my youth cannot be paid for, even in a lifetime of atonement. Yet... at the very least, my wish is to save some of the people whose lives my actions warped. At least, that is my intention." Ultear shifted her gaze to Karissa. "Your brother was the first one I 'saved' after going back to very beginning of all my actions. Although, I haven't done anything to him... I figured doing some good wouldn't hurt."
And her family was grateful to know some of the truth of their past.
"But take Jellal, for example."
"Don't worry about me. Both you and I were possessed by the darkness. That is in the past." Jellal was quick to dismiss Ultear before revealing that his memories of his past returned to him during his time in prison, a year after Tenrou Island vanished off the map.
Ultear revealed that she was actually the mastermind behind Jellal's actions in the Tower of Heaven. For the crimes he committed there, Jellal accepted the punishment bestowed upon him when he remembered it all. That is until, he was broken out of jail. With everyone sharing sin in common, they devoted themselves into forming a guild, an independent one, neither light or dark, which sole purpose was to root out Zeref, all dark guilds, anything that would turn to the darkness, to prevent another misfortune that they went through. A world with no wizard drenched in darkness.
It was an admirable goal.
Once the reason of their guild was out of the way, they cut right to the chase. Since Fairy Tail was going to participate in the Grand Magic Games, they wanted to ask something of them. Every year, there was a strange presence near the stadium. Crime Sorcière was in no position to go near that place. Therefore, Ultear proposed a deal. In exchange for increasing their magic abilities by opening their Second Origin, the dormant magic container generally not used by mages, they would assist in investigating the source of the weird presence at the Games.
What was Second Origin? Basically, another container of magic power in their bodies that goes unused. Ultear's Arc of Time would speed up the development of that container to make it usable, giving them the potential to use magic for longer periods of time, or use stronger magic they couldn't before.
"Holy shit!" Gray exclaimed.
"That's basically cheating, but I love it!" Natsu said gleefully.
This had everyone cheering despite Ultear's warning that they would endure excruciating pain.
"Wait, hold on," Natsu paused to look at Karissa, she stared back at him apathetically. "Then you're going to be a limitless container of magic!"
"It's not limitless, you idiot." Gray sweat dropped.
Ultear already gave a demonstration of the whole Second Origin process. Needless to say, their cheering quickly dimmed when they saw Natsu covered in marks and screaming while his body fidgeted, rolled around, and basically acted like a woman having indescribable pain from her menstruation. Jet and Droy peaced out and made a quick beeline for the inn, not willing to go through all that pain, leaving their Shadow Gear member behind. Meldy stayed behind with the others as Ultear and Lukius started walking off to find a good place to do the Second Origin process.
"I'll be back." Karissa quickly told Gray before following after Lukius and Ultear. Hearing her footsteps, they both turned to look over their shoulders.
"Hm? What's the matter, Karissa?" Lukius asked gently.
"You couldn't bear to watch your friend?" Ultear teased.
"Kinda. But I want to ask you something Lukius..."
"Me? Oh. Um, okay. Shoot."
Oof. Okay. Let's start from the very beginning.
"You already heard about how that coalition I was in defeated the Oración Seis, right? Here's the thing, there was this member that Brain actually bought from a black market outside of Fiore... He had the same kind of black you used against me. I know it's the same because... well, it gives off the same feeling when it touched me. So, I was wondering if you knew that person... uh, his name was Hystoran, by the way. Or what kind of magic your have?"
Ultear turned her attention away from the two seeing as this was Lukius' turf. She knew exactly what kind of magic she was speaking of... and this Hystoran, she might have a vague idea of who he was.
Lukius frowned and crossed his arms, thinking to himself how he shoulder answer her curiosity. He supposed that he should start from the beginning... He gave Karissa a side glance, smiling a little as he began telling a bit of his story. "I'm not from Fiore... or maybe I was? Not too sure. I just know that, as a little boy, I was taken away and brought to another country on this continent."
Oh... what?
She certainly wasn't expecting that.
And she was sure that wasn't the last shocking factor he would give her.
He lifted his arm to rub the back of his neck. "I don't remember much, but I do know that this magic was injected into me? It's hard to explain. I remember needles and black, and people wondering if I was going to make the cut."
As soon as he said needles, she was quick to picture... experimentation. And, she also remembered Hystoran freaking the fuck out when he saw his blood. And when Lukius said 'make the cut'... what if they didn't make it? Did they get put on the black market?
"You could already tell... I didn't make it since I'm here now." Lukius grinned sheepishly, his tone now sounding as if he spoke of another person. Lukius was indeed put on the black market, only because he purposely forced himself to have a weak performance to avoid getting into whatever plan those people had for him. Once he was out of sights, he broke free and ran off. It wasn't long after that did Ultear find him growling at her as he hid inside a tree. "That guy Hystoran must have been someone like me who didn't make the cut."
So, from the very beginning, Hystoran never had it easy then.
Karissa's gaze lowered when she remembered his final moments. It was hard to forget about it. Even when she did manage to not think about it sometime after the coalition, she couldn't help but still picture his reluctance to be saved and his desire to just die and leave this world.
"But that's just my guess." Lukius quickly added. It would be wrong to make assumptions based on his own experiences though. No one could tell what was true for Hystoran. "But that's all I can tell you about my magic. It literally has no name since no one told me what it was. But I still use it when I need it, so I don't care what it is. It serves me well." For years, he used the magic and it had no drawbacks on his body.
So that was it. There was no other way to figure out anything else about Hystoran, or the magic he and Lukius shared. She finally reached a more or less proper deadend.
"I see..." Karissa sighed in half disappointment. Well, it was better than nothing.
"Did that answer your questions somehow?"
"I guess. Thanks, Lukius."
"No problem." Lukius smiled at her before she spun on her heel to walk back the way she came. But then she paused to look at him, pointing her finger towards him with a serious look.
"By the way, I want you to knock me unconscious later so I don't feel all that crappy pain."
As requested, Lukius knocked her unconscious for the whole Second Origin process. Sure, she may had the privilege to not feel anything during... but that couldn't be said for after. According to Erza, everyone around her was groaning or screaming in pain while she just slept peacefully. Her body felt so sore that it was almost killing her to walk. That feeling still remained with them even after some time passed until the day the Grand Magic Games began.
And Makarov had made his team selection. Erza, Natsu, Gray, Karissa, and Lucy were chosen for the games. Individual skills were good, yes, but so was team cohesion. Makarov didn't know just what they were going to expect in the games, but if teamwork was going to be necessary, then he'd choose the teamwork over skill this time. It's not like he neglected the skills of his mages either. He chose people who were good enough to make great teamwork with their abilities.
Natsu and Erza can mesh with just about anyone.
Lucy was good at providing support from a distance.
Gray was basically extremely capable, there was no doubt the master could count on him to bring results.
And Karissa's rational mind to work efficiently could act as the control tower if needed, such is why she was chosen for the S-Class Exam.
Even after all that, you wouldn't be able to confidently say you could trust the master if you saw how the team was basically sprawled on the streets who were still feeling the effects of Second Origin's unlocking. Karissa chose to rest on top of Erza's luggage to avoid walking in general. Speaking of Erza, why the hell was that different breed of a woman walking around like she was fine?
Karissa was still sleeping peacefully on top of Erza's luggage when Master Makarov came to greet them with Asuka, Bisca, Alzack, Levy, Jet, and Droy. Seeing the girl's back facing him, Master Makarov deadpanned in the middle of Levy's explanation of the rules of the Grand Magic Games. One of her legs was dangling over the edge.
"Would someone wake up, Karissa, over there?"
Gray and Erza looked to Natsu who was leaning back against the luggage. He was right below her. He lifted his head up and saw her foot above his head. With a frown, he grabbed her ankle and shook it to wake her up. "Oiii! Karissa! Join us!"
All of a sudden, Karissa rolled over with squinted eyes, causing Gray and Lucy to stiffen and let out shouts that she couldn't quite register just yet. That expression of just being woken up so rudely decorated her face before suddenly turning into pure fear and shock as she rolled off the luggage. She yelped when her body fell. Natsu cried in shock as his arms automatically reached out to catch her in his arms.
"Good grief." Erza sighed.
"Be careful." Gray warned her.
"You freaking scared the hell outta me!" Natsu put her down while she sheepishly looked at the others. He pushed her towards the group since she dragged her feet. Levy took Karissa's presence as her cue to continue with the rules of the games. Unfortunately, Karissa was still a little sleepy, barely catching what she was saying, causing Gray to pinch her cheek.
"Wake up." Gray tugged her face gently.
"Mhmm." Karissa whined, batting his hand away.
"Oh! And at the end, there's a warning. All contestants must be in their reserved inns by midnight."
"Midnight? Of when?"
"They mean tonight." Karissa droned. It was obvious. Tomorrow was the Grand Magic Games, was it not?
"It's like that princess with the glass slippers, huh?" Gray remarked.
Natsu became enthusiastic when he saw how many hours they had left on a clock. His body suddenly lost all its fatigue and soreness when he looked forward to the potential fun. "Which means we've got all the time in the world!" He was already bouncing away from the group. Lucy was also getting swept away by his excitement. "Now that we're here in this huge town, let's check it out!" Natsu ran off with Lucy and Happy while laughing.
"Aye sir!"
"This is going to be so fun!"
Erza had a hand outstretched to them when they ran off. "Hey! You know where our inn is, right?!"
Karissa leaned over to Gray. "Imagine after all this preparation for this day... they just get lost in the capital and never find their way back."
Gray snorted. "Don't say that. It sounds like you're inciting bad luck." He rolled his shoulders back and then stretched his arms. "Well, anyway, wanna look around too? Like flamehead said, we've got plenty of time until midnight."
She had no reason to say no. This was the freaking capital. Would she really turn down the opportunity to venture the streets when they were going to be occupied for the Grand Magic Games?
Depending on situation, she might.
"Sure." Karissa put her hands in her pockets, adjusting her backpack. Gray smiled at her and started walking, leading the way. They were going walk down a different path. Karissa followed in suit after reassuring Erza that they would be back before midnight. Erza was worried about Natsu and Lucy losing track of time while she was reassured over the fact that Gray and Karissa were together. One group was punctual while one was not.
The scarlet haired woman sighed as she watched her teammates go. She might as well head to the inn since she had no interest in seeing the capital, wanting to be ready for the midnight hour.
Gray and Karissa were walking next to each other, checking out the shops and their goods, pointing out several things that they never saw before since they were only sold in the capital. Gray had to stop her from buying goods, telling her that it was best to reserve buying souvenirs for after they leave the capital. Of course, this had Karissa pouting a little because she wanted that little blue gemstone. For what purpose? She didn't freaking know. Maybe she could just leave it next to her window and let it shine in the sunlight. All she knew is that there were so many interesting things.
The streets were looking lively as they passed by people. They all looked forward to the start of the Grand Magic Games tomorrow.
"I didn't realize it was that big of a deal." Gray remarked while watching two kids hold up little flags with guild insignia's on them. It was Lamia Scale and Quatro Cerberus.
"I guess since all the top mages of all guilds gather in one place to basically put on a show is exciting." Karissa informed him of the obvious. "Before, people were lucky enough to run into Erza or Natsu. Now, people can come in person to see them."
"Meh. Just watch on a lacrima vision." Gray walked closer to her to avoid running into a little group of people talking and laughing together. Karissa blinked when his shoulder bumped into hers. Then she felt their hands brush against each other. Her eyes were quick to fixate on them curiously.
How would it feel to hold his hand now?
That thought was pushed aside.
Even If I had the courage to do, I can't do it.
Because what if he...
For no apparent reason, Gray turned to look towards Karissa and found her just staring at the very limited space between them. Seeing him look at her, her hand twitched and she quickly pulled her hand away to tuck it away in her pocket.
"What's that?"
"Nothing."
Gray's dark blue eyes were watching her suspiciously. She just looked at him with question marks in her eyes, hiding her fluster from him by acting all a little confused. Was she trying to do something just now? Odd.
He then became hyperaware of how close he was sticking to her. Their faces were even closer, causing her to avert her eyes. People kept walking past him, giving him no time to move away from her to give her breathing space. Instead of just squeezing next to her and possibly making her trip, he decided to put a hand on her shoulder and guide her to the side so that all the damn people behind them could just go through. They made it to a cement rectangular flower pot that housed an array of marigold flowers. There was enough space for them to sit down and wait.
They both sweat dropped when a whole damn crowd started walking through the streets. Where the hell were al these people coming from.
"Great." Gray sighed.
"Ridiculous." Karissa chuckled.
They just hoped that a parade didn't decide to show up.
At least the flowers were nice to look at.
"I guess you don't call this the capital of blooming flowers for nothing. I swear, I've spotted at least one flower around each corner we turned around." Gray remarked as his finger brushed against one of the marigold's petals.
"What did the flowers do to you?"
"I didn't say I didn't like it." Gray crossed his legs to rest his elbow on his knee and drop his chin on his knuckles.
"Sure sounded like it." Karissa snickered before stretching her legs and placing her hands flat on the cement when lightly stretched her body, making a pleased sound of from the wonderful feeling of stretching. Her back arched a little during her small stretch. When she laxed her body, she spotted a fallen flower on the ground between her and Gray. It was next to Gray's shoe. Not wanting him to step on it by accident, she picked it up and looked at it closely. She didn't notice how Gray was staring at her from the side.
His fingers were folded and pressed against his lips from how his chin was in his palm. He was curiously watching her look observe the flower. She didn't even realize a small peaceful smile was on her lips when she looked at the pretty flower.
This was the type innocence that Mirajane usually spoke of. Karissa continued to retain some degree of innocence that she found it so charming. Being able to keep that part of her was something not many people are able to do as it usually leaves as people grow and change because of the environment around them.
But that innocence was quick to dissipate when she tucked the flower in her pocket while looking around if anyone was watching her.
Gray chuckled at her, amused, causing her to look at him. "Yeah? Stealing in the capital?"
"I'm not stealing it! It was already on the floor."
Finders-keepers logic.
Gray sat properly and put his foot down, creating a sharp sound from his shoe. "Whatever, you say thief."
"Hmph, wait until you strip in the capital... you'll get arrested on the spot!"
Gray inwardly hoped his bad habit wouldn't come into play soon. That image she invoked in his mind wasn't one he wanted to entertain.
When the crowd of people finally died down, they took that as their cue to keep moving. But even then, they could still see how busy the place was with the preparations for the Grand Magic Games. So many people were coming to stay in the capital to watch the games, and the mages of guilds coming to support their teams were also going to be present. There was one thing they knew for sure, the economy was going to rise with all these potential sales.
Gray shifted his head to look at Karissa as she kept with his pace. "You nervous about being in the spotlight?"
The truth was, Karissa was glad the Master picked her for the team, it was undeniable proof of his faith in her. Obviously, as a versatile mage, she wanted to meet his expectations. But with how she was, there were some unwanted hesitation about participating due her anxiety and her reluctance to come out of her comfort zone.
"A little, yeah." Karissa sighed. Her hands moved up to hold the shoulder straps of her bag. She jutted her bottom lip out a bit. "It's just that... so many eyes on me watching my every move... you know I don't like that much attention. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm glad to be able to participate."
"I know you are." Gray paused. A smirk came up on his face, causing him to lean closer to her with a mischievous air. "You know... with the way you act, all quiet and stuff, you can actually fool your opponents into thinking you're not much." He reminded her of the people who made fun of their guild name when they arrived in Crocus. It wasn't playing dirty if Karissa's personality was exactly that. "They all think Fairy Tail is a bunch of weaklings now. Why don't you prove them wrong?"
If it was Karissa, they wouldn't even see it coming.
This time it was Karissa's turn to smirk. The idea was entertaining. "You know, I actually imaged that type of scenario before going to bed last night. It would be fun to make them remember just who was part of Fairy Tail." She placed a hand on her chest proudly, smiling almost haughtily. They would probably remember her through her last name since her parents were basically history. But if she won at the games, it would reawaken the fame of her identity and give more credibility to her guild's name. They would realize she was Karissa Sinclost of Fairy Tail.
After hearing the comments on the way to the capital, Gray wanted nothing more than to see the people surprised by Karissa, because her skill was worth seeing. He grinned and placed a hand on her head. "If it's you, I know you can do it. Show everyone just what you can do."
Karissa placed a hand on his on top of her head, she smiled at him with more courage pulsing through her veins. "Yeah, I'll do my best in the games." When he finished his part, Gray removed his hand hastily and let it fall to his side, surprising her when it felt her hand atop her head.
She didn't let that suddenness fly over her head.
But she would not question it.
Instead, she grinned and aimed to nudge his side. That ended up feeling like a gentle bump though since she had a second thought about it. "You better also do your best in the games. Don't give a pitiful performance."
"Psh, who do you think you're talking to?"
"A guy who likes to show off his wang in publ—" Gray clasped hand over her mouth when her volume was too high for comfort. He could have sworn he saw an old woman give him a dirty look just now. He whipped his head to look at her. "Shut up, you idiot!" He could feel her smiling behind his hand. There was amusement dancing in her eyes as he deadpanned at her. His whole hand grabbed her jaw gently and made her lips pucker. "You know I can't help it!"
Like a fool, she giggle in his hold. But then, he suddenly pulled away swiftly, dropping his hand, surprising Karissa. It was quick. As if that didn't happen, Gray huffed and started walking off without her, feigning annoyance as he told her that he was leaving her behind jokingly. He missed the way she stared at his back, her hands fidgeting together.
Obviously, this made her feel a little weird in her stomach.
How could she describe this feeling?
It felt like knots... weird uncomfortable knots.
With an armour of lies, she quickly caught up to him with a short laugh. She was going to loop her arm with his to let him drag her along. He felt her hand slip in between his arm and torso before quickly retracting away to hide away in her pocket.
She couldn't play casual.
It was hard to try.
Just shake it off.
He arched an eyebrow at that.
"I take it back. How about this? You're one of the best mages, a dependable guy, who can definitely help bring back Fairy Tail to its former glory?"
"That's much better."
"I hope so. I don't want to inflate your ego."
"My ego is normal." Gray scoffed, feigning offense. Just as Karissa was about to joke about something, she quickly moved away from him to check out a shop's window display. There were a bunch of fancy gadgets that most likely had lacrima in them to function. Gray waited for her in the same spot. Anything device that functioned with lacrimas always interested her. He kept walking at his regular pace when she came back to his side. As they continued looking around, it was Gray's turn to notice something that caught his interest. He basically jogged over to that place while Karissa had to follow him with curiosity dancing around her. That's how their time went most of the time, it was either Karissa or Gray who pointed out something to check out.
Fun smiles, laughs, and jokes as they spent their time together.
After revealing their feelings to each other that night, it just made their experience somewhat richer.
...
...
...
Sometime after, Gray and Karissa occupied an empty bench. He was sitting with one arm on the backrest and one leg crossed over another while Karissa sat with her legs together to put a small box on her lap. Just now, when they decided to find a spot to rest, Karissa bought a box of ten munchkin donuts. This was something Gray allowed her to buy since she wanted to have her first treat from the capital. No way in hell was she going to wait for after the games were over to taste some.
If Gray had tried to stop her... there was going to be a Grand Magic Games in the street.
In just a few hours, they saw so much when they covered a lot of ground and yet saw so little in comparison to the size of the capital. Dinner hour was fast approaching and they were trying to figure out when to eat. They saw several restaurants but that was a while ago. Karissa might remember where they were though since she had a good memory and could correctly retrace her steps if she tried hard enough. That last method was always good for her whenever she needed to find her way around new big places. That was something Natsu was so grateful she was capable in back when they were much younger. This one time when she went on a job with him, the poor boy got lost for like three hours. Happy wasn't even capable of flying so high back then! So, she had to find him via wind magic. He was grumpy for the rest of the job, calling the town ridiculously big.
As a gentle breeze blew past them, Gray tilted his head back and closed his eyes. He could hear her opening the box to grab another donut to eat, causing him to turn his shift his head. She was just digging in the box to grab one she liked. This made him sit up properly and scoot closer so he could reach in the box and try one for himself.
"With the Grand Magic Games in the way, we'll be occupied." Gray commented before taking a bite.
"Yeah, we'll be busy." Karissa nodded once after closing the box after she brought out a sugary donut. "Think we'll have time to go around like this? There's still so much we can do in the capital..."
"I'm sure we'll get some time for reprieve..." Gray said with a mouthful. "Then, after that, we can get some more time to hang out like this."
"Together?"
Gray didn't answer right away. His mouth tugged to the side of a quick second as he turned his head away. "... Well, yeah."
Karissa quietly looked inside the box while her right foot fidgeted on the cobblestone.
"Sorry about making you wait..." Hearing her apology made him turn his head back to look at her, she was pretending to busy herself by searching for another donut. His eyes softened. She was trying to not show some guilt on her face.
"What did I tell you? I said I'm okay with it." Gray licked his fingers and pushed her hand to her mouth with his other when she picked up the treat. "Now, eat." He smirked at the way her voice muffled as her lips kissed the treat. Even if they weren't together yet, they were already in the mindset of knowing that the other shared the same feelings, giving them more reason to get closer.
Karissa pouted after lowering the treat from her mouth. Her tongue darted out to lick the sugar on her lips.
He rested one of his arms on the backrest to look at her seriously.
"I'll wait until you're ready." He reminded her.
She wanted to lean her head on his shoulder.
Gray and Karissa checked out a map. Well, it was actually Karissa checking it out until Gray peered over his shoulder to also look. They were starting to get hungry now that the hour was reaching evening. Perhaps it was time to eat dinner and finally head to Honeybone.
"Here. Something to tide you over." Karissa lifted a donut to his mouth while checking the map. Gray took a bite while he also read the map. There were so many dots on this damn map. Okay, in what damn direction was the entrance of the capital from their position?!
He moved away from her when he grabbed the rest of the treat and came closer to look. Karissa watched him curiously as he grumpily dragged his finger in several directions until he stopped. He loudly thumped the dot with his finger before looking at her. He pointed at a dot on the map. "I think this is that restaurant we passed by one time. Should we go check it again?"
If it wasn't the right one. Then they'd just figure it out from there.
"Yeah, sure. As long as we eat something soon."
"Gray-sama!"
The voice that loudly called his name was no mystery. The two ice mages turned to find Juvia approaching them with a beaming smile. Karissa didn't get the same greeting when her blue eyes landed on her. She did a 180 and emitted dark aura as she muttered her usual catch phrase in the presence of women near Gray Fullbuster.
She must have arrived with Master Makarov earlier this day. As they suspected, she revealed that many members actually arrived in Crocus to cheer for their team.
Gray sighed with a shrug. "Honestly, those guys have too much free time..." That wasn't to say he didn't appreciate their gesture.
"That was nice of them." Karissa commented just as Juvia came closer to them, Gray specifically, while fidgeting her hands, her face looking bashful.
"H-Has... Gray-sama eaten yet...?"
"Uh, not yet. But Karissa and I are actually looking for a place to eat—"
Juvia beamed and clasped her hands together. This was her chance! "Then, Gray-sama and Juvia can—"
"Then we'll go to a restaurant I know in town."
What the fuck?
Karissa flinched and jumped away at the voice.
It was Lyon Vastia.
Lyon suddenly showing up out of the blue... It wasn't a joke to say that he scared the three members to the point half their lifespans got reduced. Seriously, that man came out of nowhere! What hole did he crawl out of?!
"LYON?!"
He put the moves on Juvia real quick. He was already dragging her away from Gray by placing a hand on her shoulder in an almost gentlemanly manner. "It's combined with the aquarium. A really fashionable restaurant." Seriously, the nerve of this guy. He was just waltzing off with their guild member like it was no big deal. She didn't even say yes.
"Yeah, Lyon?" Karissa deadpanned.
"Hey! Don't just walk off with our member whenever you feel like it!" Gray objected.
Lyon huffed and looked over his shoulder, lowering his arm from Juvia's person. She was quick to retreat away from the older man. "I heard you guys are going to be in the games."
"Yeah, and?" Gray arched a brow.
Soon enough, the two were butting their heads together, giving Karissa the strong sense of déjà vu. Here we go. She thought. Even as adults, it just doesn't stop. Juvia fretted as the two men glared at each other. How should she stop them? How should she make Gray choose her instead?
Easy. Karissa walked over to them and stood on the side. They were taller than her even as they bent their backs a bit to butt heads, giving her a good reach to clamp her hand over their chins and then shove them away.
"Ack—!" Gray stumbled back. "Karissa!"
"Uncalled for." Lyon frowned and held his chin when Karissa gave him a reprimanding stare.
"And I don't want to play the mediator for twenty-something year old men. You're embarrassing."
"Blame Gray."
"The fuck?"
Karissa deadpanned with half-lidded eyes.
The older ice mage decided to cut right to the chase then. He single-handedly decided to wager Juvia's membership. If Lamia Scale, were to win, she would join his guild. If not, then... well, she gets to stay in Fairy Tail (or in Lyon's words: return to Fairy Tail).
Gray pointed at the blue mage. "She's already part of our guild!" He exclaimed, making the girl inwardly squeal as she envisioned Gray basically being protective over her and wanting to keep her to himself. "You're being dumb as hell right now."
Karissa gave Lyon a disgusted look, causing minor offense to him. She was starting to feel like the pride he felt was a little too out of hand sometimes. Before he thought she still liked him and thought it was best to gentle break it to her, now he was confident in winning Juvia's membership. Come on, Lyon. Don't be ridiculous.
"Yeah... This is like his second dumbest idea after the hole Deliora thing." She wasn't ready for Lyon to suddenly shoot towards her and clasp his hand over her mouth. His eyes were basically telling her to hush on the subject in font of Juvia Lockser. He didn't know if she'd get turned off by the whole revive Deliora thing.
Seeing her shrug, he turned to Gray reminded him of the wager. "Don't forget it."
"Are you kidding me? I'm not agreeing to anything. I don't get to decide whether Juvia joins your guild or not!" Gray approached his two childhood friends so that he could remove Lyon's hand from her mouth. Karissa sighed and stepped away from Lyon so she could observe.
"Hmph. What, are you afraid to lose?
"What did you just say?"
Karissa poked her tongue out at Lyon. "We won't lose to you. No way."
"Are you sure about that? Your guild has always fallen into last place."
"Yeah, well, I'm here now. Easy win against you since you still couldn't beat me."
"And you couldn't beat me."
Now, it was Lyon and Karissa's turn to butt heads. But that was quickly stopped when a voice called Lyon's name in relief, causing the two to turn their heads. To Karissa, surprise, it was Clavis running towards them. He was wearing a casual civilian get up. Seeing his twin sister, a bright big smile appeared on Clavis' face, and he hurried over to them faster.
He quickly forgot about Lyon, basically pushing his way in between them to hold Karissa's hands.
"Karissa...! It's so nice to see you again!"
He looks so happy...!
Like a puppy...
"Hello, Clavis. How are you?"
"I'm doing great! And you?"
"Same."
Juvia and Gray were quickly thrown into a loop for a second. Some random guy they didn't know was quick to get so friendly with the aloof mage? How... bold. However, as Gray peered closer to his face, he was beginning to see the resemblance in his face.
Was... this who he thought this was?
Lyon sighed at Clavis' interruption, he couldn't be mad at him though. It was hard to get mad at sunshine boy. "This is Clavis Sinclost. I suppose you've heard of him by now?"
"Karissa-san's twin brother...?" Juvia identified. Blinking, her eyes darted back and forth between the two opposite siblings. No way were they both related. Not even Pandora and Van were this shinning!
Clavis and Karissa stopped their conversation when the first turned to Gray and Juvia. He had a very amicable aura around him, surprising them so much. They could see angel wings around him. "Hi, there."
"Oh, this is my friend, Gray." Karissa pointed with a grin. "And that's my guildmate, Juvia."
So, this was Clavis Sinclost. It was much different from what Gray imagined. He was the opposite of Karissa. Seriously. It was so obvious. He wasn't going to lie and say the sight wasn't interesting. Not wanting to be rude, Juvia and Gray greeted him back.
"Lyon, what were you doing? You suddenly left me behind!" Clavis let go of her hands, giving Lyon a slight pout. He didn't appreciate being left behind when gave a stray kitten some of his bread. He crossed his arms in a way to feign anger.
"Sorry." Lyon turned to Juvia and smiled charmingly in her direction. "But I saw Juvia and suddenly wanted to invite her to dinner."
Juvia blushed and inched closer to Gray. "Um..."
Upon hear that, Clavis' face beamed with excitement. "Dinner? Oh, that's a great die! We could eat together for dinner and enjoy the night before midnight. We might not get a chance until after the games are over!" He clapped his hands together. He turned to Gray and Juvia and smiled boyishly. "Juvia, Gray, did you know that Lyon knows the best restaurants?"
Lyon sweat dropped. "Hold on-"
Clavis seemed to bounce on his feet. "I want to eat with the members who returned from Tenrou Island! Let's eat!"
Gray sweat dropped. "Wait... what."
Juvia's eyes darted between Lyon and Gray.
Lyon's mouth remained shut. He didn't have it in him to dampen Clavis' spirits.
Karissa also sweat dropped when she realized that the crowd wasn't actually the ideal group.
But how could they refuse when Clavis looked so sweet?
Gray was not a happy camper. Food was good. But the atmosphere got negative points. He was getting the worst out this god forsaken dinner. Lyon kept taunting him. Juvia kept trying to snuggle up to him and feed him while trying to avoid Lyon. As for the twins, they were actually enjoying their time talking together, telling each other some stories. They were basically in their own little world. Gray would find himself grateful to Clavis whenever he spoke to him. It was like the most normal conversation he could get at this dinner table. Seriously, just speaking to him was like a balm for his soul. And in doing so, he got to know him a little better. They were seated at a round table which made half of it look odd from how it went from Lyon, Juvia, Gray, Karissa, and Clavis.
Gray looking absolutely tired of this clown show.
He shifted his gaze to Karissa who listened to Clavis chat with a grin. Sometimes he would catch her glancing in his direction when Juvia held a spoon up to his face (which he would stop by either shaking his head furiously or just picking up his own damn spoon to eat).
He didn't want to just up and leave the table. Karissa looked like she was enjoying her time talking with her long lost brother, it would be mean of him to cut their time short.
But there was only so much he could take.
And lucky for him, it was nearly midnight.
It was perfect.
Fishing out his wallet from his bag, Gray put money on the table and pretended to look surprised. "Oh shit, look at the time. We need to go before Erza kills us." He said, stuffing his wallet in his back pocket, while quickly moving away from Juvia and out of his seat, causing her to jump in surprise as he pulled himself away from her. His hand came down to wrap around Karissa's elbow to gently but urgently pull her out of her seat. "Come on, let's go."
Juvia whined and grabbed his free arm. "But...! Gray-sama! I still haven't fed you the strawberries!" She didn't feed him anything yet! She wanted that lovey-dovey mouth feeding moment!
"Sorry, we need to go." In confusion, Karissa looked at Gray, wanting an explanation. However, seeing the exhausted look in his eyes was enough for her. Okay, so dinner wasn't good at all. She felt bad. "See you later Juvia! It was nice meeting you Clavis!"
"Oh... It was nice meeting you too, Gray Fullbuster!"
"Don't be a coward Gray, the wager it still on!"
"Shut the hell up!"
Karissa snorted at the dynamic. She still lifted her hand to wave at her old classmate. "Goodnight, you guys!" Seeing them leave in a hurry, Juvia was quick to put out some money for her share of the meal. Her jealousy meter was spiking again. Her Gray-sama was being forced to do something by Karissa!
When they made it outside, they ran past the open window that they were previously sitting next to. Gray was still holding onto her arm. Karissa stumbled when Gray suddenly stopped and turned to run to the window that was still open.
Lyon wasn't ready for the swift smack aimed for the side of his head.
"Ow! What the hell?!"
"Don't ask. You deserved that."
That was being partly to blame for the misunderstanding between him and Karissa!
Then, they sped off away from Juvia.
"You didn't enjoy dinner at all, did you?"
"Nope... not one bit."
"Sorry. I feel bad for having a good time with Clavis..."
"Nah, don't be." Gray sighed. They were both on their way back to Honeybone where Erza was most likely waiting for them. They took several detours when running away from Juvia since they just wanted to retire to bed already. And finally, they were nearly there. The streets looked less crowded compared to when they first arrived. It was easier to tell if someone was approaching them now that the space was open.
Gray hand his hands in his pockets while he walked with Karissa by his side. She was just looking around, taking in more of the sights. There were a few times he wanted to ask. But there was one thing he wanted to ask about right now. So, he did. "Were you bothered by Juvia?"
Karissa stiffened when he simply asked. It was always hard to miss Juvia's antics. Customers in that restaurant sometimes watched her do as she pleased. Karissa was no exception. It was easier to turn away and keep talking with Clavis. She had two reasons for turning away from it. One, well... she just was tired of watching it. Two, she trusted Gray. He wouldn't just give her all that false hope for nothing...
Gray noted how she didn't answer him right away. He was familiar with the way she could just shrug it off with a joke or just wave it off. But she did none of that. Instead choosing to fix the ground beneath her shoes. It would really be so easy to just deny it. She felt reluctant to tell him the truth. But if they were going to be honest with their feelings and avoid another misunderstanding, then she wanted to be honest.
"Okay. A bit." She admitted and lifted her head, nodding lazily. "After what we talked about, I don't have that much right to be jealous. I don't want to look, I don't know, clingy or annoying? It's just somehow awkward." Karissa sighed almost comically to hide anything vulnerable that may show. She couldn't forget the weird knots in her stomach. "Please don't tell me I'm the only one who feels like this. If I am, well damn... I guess I'm a clown overreacting."
Despite the slightly amused tone she had, she couldn't help but drop her head a bit when she felt seemingly the only one bothered by what was happening.
Gray breathed through his nose when she admitted the truth. That would explain the way he saw her retract from him sometimes. She understood what she decided, she understood how they felt about this, and because of all that, she wanted to be careful of how she acted, she didn't want to have him change his mind by doing something he might not have liked. But underneath it all, she still felt the emotions that the heart couldn't help but feel. And she believed she had no right to feel that way. In addition, she was trying to mold herself to appear in a certain why in his eyes.
Basically, she was overthinking.
In the end, the result ended up with her feeling awkward in this new shifting relationship. He understood this very well... because he was also a little guilty of it as well.
After that night, he would sometimes refrain from being a little touchy. It was something that he learned very quickly that he wasn't too fond of. His reason was simple: he didn't want her to feel like he was ignoring what she said and felt like he was pressuring her. However, doing so made him act a bit awkward since he was already used to the physical contact they had. And sensing her pull away as if in response to his intentions... well, it was a head scratcher. And he wasn't quite sure what to think of it, contributing to that awkward air around them.
"Nah, I get it. It's a bit awkward... You're not the only one feeling like a 'clown'." Gray admitted. Not all relationships kick start with all things going well, there could be some little bumps. And for sure, that was to be expected of their relationship that they wished to slowly change. Sometimes, that's what it took for things to become natural.
They were like children cautiously navigating this new path called love.
Gray couldn't help but lightly rattle his fists in his pockets for a second to shake off the air around them. Then his hand came out to rub the back of his neck. He would never overstep her boundaries but it shouldn't be that hard to avoid feeling awkward. Okay. So, communication is always better to smooth things out.
Meanwhile, Karissa couldn't help but just overthink about it all. Was that it? Already a crack to prove they weren't good? Oh great. She was already fucking up. Why was it so hard to act a hundred percent natural?! All these damn emotions were so vexing.
They both had their own thoughts on the subject.
It wouldn't be long until they made it to their inn and started going up the stairs to the room that they reserved, forcing them to shelve the subject. They had to ask the reception which room Erza was in (they didn't appreciate the snorts when they identified themselves as Fairy Tail mages) before going up.
Karissa led the way. She curiously looked up while holding the rail, wondering how many rooms per floor this inn had. It was quite big from the exterior. Behind her, Gray walked up with his hands in his jacket's pockets, eying Karissa's form who remained unaware.
After arriving on the correct floor, they noticed that two lights were out. But the lights in the hallway gave a small amount of light into the dark stair corner. Karissa eyed the dark bulbs above her head with an curious eye. Perhaps the lacrima was no good? For event like this that welcomed many people into Crocus and ultimately into inns, it would have been wise to have replaced them lest they wanted some minor or major accidents by the stairs.
"What room was it again?" Karissa wondered as looked at the list of rooms written on the piece of paper near the stairs. She knew this was the correct floor, but it never hurt anyone to be sure.
"386." Gray replied, rapping the back of his index finger against the number displayed.
The darkness of that corner cloaked them both.
"Okay, yeah." Karissa chuckled to herself. "I didn't forget it." she nodded to herself and made one stride to step out of the shadows. However, just as they were about to leave the dark, Gray grabbed her hand and pulled her back towards him. Her eyebrows furrowed and her eyes widened in surprise at the sudden tug, causing her to look at him when she regained her footing. What's this? His cheeks turned a light shade of pink, something she could barely see.
"Huh? What?" She whispered, confused. He didn't reply at first. She watched as he instead chose to inhale and pull his eyes away from hers for a a second. The hold on her hand tighten before he leaned down and just kissed her soft cheek. It happened so suddenly that she didn't even have a reflex ready.
Her brows pinched.
HUH?
"Gray?!" Karissa half yelled and whispered as he pulled away when she realized he did that in a public establishment. She looked around to check if any type of eye was watching them. When she was sure there was no one, she looked at him again in hopes of having at least something to explain what that was for. Somehow the darkness around them made had them greatly aware of how close they were and how warm his hand was on her hand. He looked down staring deeply into her eyes. That and the fact he just dropped a kiss on her cheek made her ears turn red.
"We're being weird. We're thinking too much and making things awkward for no reason..." Gray trailed off, trying to figure out how to piece his next sentence. "Let's just be normal like usual... that's my advice."
Don't be all weird and hesitate to do what you would always do.
Because if you do, it defeats the purpose of our decision.
Karissa just stared back at him as the words sank in. It was okay? Being able to do all that they did together were factors attributed to the connection they had. If they were to remove pieces of it, it would make things a bit awkward. And frankly, always thinking about not to do this or be careful about doing that was borderline disconcerting. She only just recently started thinking about this... and she hated it.
Giving her time didn't mean to pull away.
Taking her time didn't mean restraining herself to that point.
Why make the effort to make this awkward?
"So... what was this for?" Karissa asked timidly, pulling her gaze away.
"It was a sorry for today." Gray said, gently brushing some of her hair that feel in out of place when she moved her head earlier away from her eyes with his finger. They were starting to grow longer. If she felt the same weird uncomfortable feeling he felt whenever she pulled away, then he felt bad about it. "It didn't feel good, did it?"
Hearing that, she frowned and angled her head to look down. "Nope... I didn't like those knots in my stomach when you slipped away. Feels weird..."
It felt like something went wrong.
"Yeah, I was just trying to avoid somehow making you feel like I was pressuring you. My bad." He moved one hand to rest atop her head in a comforting manner, noticing her eyes that wavered. His gesture warmed her heart that she didn't realize how she chilled it to avoid feeling too much. For a while, she dropped her head and closed her eyes.
This silence that fell upon them was welcomed as they enjoyed the proximity of the other's presence, making it seem like they were in their own little world.
Alright, then.
She shifted her head to look up again. He blinked when he felt her touch the side of his neck, and he came closer willingly when her fingers slightly pressed into his skin. He saw the way she hesitated to lean closer. Then, on the opposite side, he felt her breath ghost on his cheek before pressing her own kiss on his, taking him by gentle surprise. It wasn't a peck. It was a soft press that lingered for a second before she pulled away. It was expected for her face to feel noticeably warm after that. His ears became tinted in a red hue for that as well.
"'m sorry too." It was her turn to apologize. "I guess I set expectations for myself without even realizing it." She had unconsciously built those expectations for herself for the sake of appearing somewhat ideal to Gray. She always made comments about girls being ridiculous for doing something like that whenever she read a book or saw it in real. She never thought she'd began doing the same ridiculous thing.
He shook his head, making his hair tickle her face. "You don't have to try and mold yourself. You're fine the way you are. And what you usually doesn't bother me." If trying to be better meant being somewhat aloof, then he didn't want it. He preferred the dynamic they had as their complete usual selves.
"Just like how it never bothers me when you mess up my hair when I should kill you for it." Karissa couldn't help the amusement in her voice, making Gray huff a laugh. "I like it better when we're normal."
"Me too."
This private exchange of theirs chased away what was left of that guilty feeling. They would both make sure to remember what they talked about just now. He breathed audibly and hummed an affirmative. He straightened up and caught the hand that stayed on his neck, holding hers in the opposite one. His big hand held her smaller one, enveloping it in a soothing warmth, signaling the end of the subject.
Gray smiled a little with his brows furrowing a bit as he nudged his head and shoulder towards the light of the hallway. "Erza's still waiting. Ready to head back?"
Karissa nodded, unable to resist hiding a timid smile. Everything felt okay. "Yep."
Gray started pulling her arm along with him, finally bringing them out of the shadows out of that little corner. He did make sure to check if anyone was nearby. Karissa's footsteps hastily followed after him when the coast was clear.
Wasn't it alright to spoil themselves like this?
Their hands tightened for this brief walk.
"I knew I could count on you for being on time, Karissa." Erza said from her spot on the bed. She was reading a book while waiting up on them. The moment Gray opened the door and entered with Karissa following in suit, she smiled at Karissa with an approving smile.
The second she said that, Gray looked downright offended while Karissa giggled to herself, pushing her way through the door since he was blocking the path. Because it seemed like to him that Erza had little faith his responsability. Gray scowled as he set down his bag on his chosen bed. "I take offense to that. I was the one who got us here on time."
"Oh?"
"He's lying." Karissa snickered, plopping herself on the bed next to his.
"Says the liar." He picked up his pillow and tossed it on her stomach.
Yes. Erza was pleased with their responsibility.
However, the same couldn't be said for Lucy, Natsu, and Happy. Erza was obviously displeased. They arrived almost too late for midnight, claiming that they got involved with some weird people.
"That's what you get for poking your nose where it doesn't belong, flame brain." Gray spat, throwing himself back on the pillows, sighing pleasantly.
"Shut up, you streaker!" Natsu barked, causing Gray's eye to twitch.
Karissa, who was already in her sleeping clothes, and Gray, still dressed, were sitting on their beds while the others were sittings on the back of their knees, enduring the scolding from their teammate. It always felt good to just watch those on the receiving end of Erza's displeasure sometimes.
Erza put two fingers against her temple and sighed deeply. "Well, whatever. You guys made it back before that's all that matters. I hope you three had something to eat at least because you're not leaving this room after midnight."
Lucy nodded with a sigh, tired from today's encounter. She got up and waddled over to the bed situated in front of Gray's. "Yeah, I'm all pooped."
Karissa plucked out her headphones from her bag and her sketch book. Gray was digging into his back for some clothes to wear, he wasn't going to wear them just yet. Erza kneeled down to pick up the playing cards she brought along, they were on the floor after playing by herself. Perhaps she could convince Gray and Karissa for a game of Old Maid. Meanwhile, Natsu and Happy were still grumpy as they walked to the beds.
"So," Lucy started as she set down her things. "What happens at midnight?"
"Murder in the capital." Karissa replied flatly as she dragged her pencil on the paper. Lucy ignored her and looked to Gray who settled himself back on the bed with a book in hand after setting aside his clothes.
"I don't know, but there's a rule saying we have to be here before midnight so... I guess we just wait?" Gray turned to look at the clock. He stiffened. It was alright midnight? "Or not."
It wouldn't be too long for the clock to create a loud gong-like sound. At first they thought it was just their imagination when they heard the clock gongs outside. No, it was really coming form outside. Everyone quickly gathered at the window when they heard a loud voice echoing in the deep night.
"To all the guilds who have gathered for our Grand Magic Games... Good Morning! We will now winnow down the 113 teams competing to eight, and to do that... We will start our preliminary competition!"
"Oh, shit!" Karissa immediately ran away from the window to dig into her bag. There was no way she was competing in her fucking sleeping clothes! Nah! She needed to be presentable for something like this. She was raised better! Her hand fished out gray tight fitted pants, a t-shirt, and a cardigan. She was already in the middle of taking off her pants as she shut herself inside the closet.
"Karissa? What are you doing?!" Lucy asked her when she heard the loud slam of the closet. From her perspective, it looked like Karissa did a small dance as she wiggled her hips with her hands on her pants and disappeared inside the closet. It was comical.
"GETTING DRESSED THE FUCK UP!"
GET DRESSED! COME ON, COME ON! I DON'T WANNA LOOK LIKE A CLOWN OUT THERE!
She was wearing black pants and a long black t-shirt with some graffiti design on it. Yeah. That wasn't good for this event!
"There are more and more guilds participating every year, and we don't want to spread the fun too thin! So this year, the competition will be between eight teams only! The contest rules are simple!"
Lucy, Gray, Erza, and Natsu jumped in surprise when they felt the building shift.
"Wha...?!
"Whoa!"
"WHAT THE HELL'S HAPPENING?!" Karissa yelled as she pushed away a hanger from her face. Come on, just her pants left! Oh damn, she forgot about her shoes too!
"We wish to engage you all in a race! Your goal will be the stadium, Doms Frau!"
Outside, all the inns were rising from the ground, just like Honeybone, and rising to gather together in the sky. Unable to take the confusion and adrenaline in her body, Karissa stumbled out of the closet in a comical manner. To anyone who knew Karissa, it was funny to see her so flustered like this when she was usually so cool. She was tugging her pants up to her waist in bunny hops.
"The hell's going on?!" Karissa stumbled into Erza as she buttoned her pants. When she peeked outside, she could see a huge ball build in the sky. Then, rumbling began as wooden boards began building a path for them to reach the giant structure in the sky.
"They're making a path!" Gray exclaimed in awe.
"So, this is the way we go." Erza realized.
"You may use whatever magic you wish. There are no limits. The first eight teams to make it to the goal pass the preliminary contest! But if all five members are not present, you will be eliminated." Karissa ran to the front door to grab her shoes. "One more thing...! If any of you should lose your lives in the labyrinth, the organizers bear no responsibility!"
Karissa quickly put on her shoes with clumsy hands.
"Let the preliminary contest to the Grand Magic Games, the Sky Labyrinth... begin!"
Natsu gaped at the giant structure in the sky that was finally finished. "What's that supposed to be?!"
Gray blinked dumbly at the sight. "How the hell did they do that...?!" His initial shock was quickly shaken off when he focused his attention on the main task. "Since it's race, we'd better hurry!"
"Then let's fucking go!"
With a chuckle, Karissa ran and jumped out the window, and then used her wind magic to literally blast them all towards the structure. Other team candidates participating had to take a moment to see the shooting star-like team zoom to the labyrinth.
"AHHH WHAT THE HELL?!" Natsu shrieked as he spun in the air uncontrollably. Oh god, was he getting sick?
"Good thinking, Karissa!" Erza changed into her armour with a smirk.
"WHAT ABOUT THIS WAS GOOD?!" Lucy freaked when her shirt rose up all the way to her neck, flashing her tits to the stars. "MY SHIRT!"
"Let's win this race!" Gray grinned confidently on a platform of ice.
The Grand Magic Games was finally starting.
Karissa really said: I'm not going out there without my makeup on and look like a boss.
Anyway, since I've been asked more than once, yes, this story is posted on other websites (initial because I sought some feedback when I wanted to know what people thought... I like reading reviews and comments lol) on Wattpad and AO3. There are some drawings on Wattpad because I like using the story as practice for drawing stuff~
Thank you for reading and I hope you have a nice day/night!