Chapter 38
Enter Sky Labyrinth
"Speech"
'Thoughts'
"Magic"
Flashback you
Location / Date / Time Skip
5 Days Later
Crocus, Capital of Fire
After the torture that was the Second Origin release and brief reunion at the guild hall, the group finally arrived at the capital city of the nation. "I can't believe I still feel so horrible..." Wendy groaned out.
"I really hope that whole Second Origin spell wasn't just some kind of sick prank to make us lose." Gray added.
"Well, I do sorta feel like I have more magic power." Lucy confessed.
"Chin up, this isn't the time for whining." Erza declared, the only one still standing.
"Seriously, how are you this tough?" Brianna asked.
"I don't think I've ever been in a city this big before." Natsu confessed, looking around.
"It's about time you kids made it here." The groaning Team Natsu looked up to see Makarov, Team Shadowgear and the Connell family walking over. "We just finished with the registration process. So let's show everyone why Fairy Tail is the number one guild in Fiore."
People around them started laughing at them, making Natsu angry. "Let them laugh, Natsu." Makarov said. "Don't forget, we're doing this for the 30 million- er, uh I mean the honor of being Fiore's top ranked guild. Our founding master rose from her slumber to save our lives, so let's make her proud."
He pulled Asuka down off his head and set her on the ground. "Now, we know the games will begin tomorrow. But unfortunately we don't know what they'll be."
"Hold on, didn't you guys enter every year?" Nicholas asked.
"Yeah, but the games change every year." Alzack said as he picked up his daughter. "When Bisca and I sat out, there was a target shooting game."
"And when I sat out there was a big foot race." Jet added.
"They tally the scores over the different days to determine the winner." Droy said, eating a bucket of chicken.
"From what I've read, the only consistent thing about the games is their inconsistency." Levy added.
"Then we'll play it by ear." Natsu chuckled. "But I hope there's some kind of fight."
Erza stared at the sky, thinking about what Jellal said before Makarov handed her the rule book. "I want you to read through the official rule book by tomorrow." The master declared.
"Leave it to me." Levy said, placing her magic glasses on. After a quick second, she closed the book and looked at the group. "To sum it all up, I would say there are three major rules: Guildmasters cannot participate in the games, no non-members are allowed to compete, and every game will remain a mystery until they are announced."
"Not very helpful..." Erza mumbled.
"There is something else." Levy added. "All participants must return to their respective inns by 12."
"Midnight?" Erza asked.
"Cool!" Natsu cheered. "We've got plenty of time until then! And since this everyone's first time in the capital, we should check it out!" Happy, Lisanna and Lucy followed the man as he ran into the city.
"Hold on!" Erza shouted. "Do you know where we're staying?"
"The Honeybone Inn, right?" Lucy asked back.
"Just be back by 12!" The red head shouted.
Honeybone Inn
Erza, Nicholas and Brianna walked into their room. "Six beds?" The Take-Over mage asked. "Guess we have our own room." The trio quickly searched the room for anything suspicious only to find nothing.
"I guess we should relax." Nicholas said. "Mind if I take a bath first?"
The girls nodded and he entered the bathroom as Erza summoned a sword and began polishing it. Brianna studied her gems on a desk before she gripped one. The gem shattered as she felt the soul merge with her own. "Another gift from Crime Sorcière?" Erza asked.
"Yeah, you could say that." Brianna replied before turning to the red head. "Please don't tell me you actually believe that 'fiancé' lie."
"Don't worry. He's always been a terrible liar." Erza leaned back and stared up at the ceiling, thinking back to the near kiss.
"AAHHH!"
She snapped her eyes open and found Ichiya harassing Brianna. "Get out of here!" The red head kicked the troll our before Brianna in her minotaur form came up from behind and threw the Trimen after their boss.
"Are these four always like that?" Brianna asked, returning to normal.
"Unfortunately, yes." Erza replied as Nicholas walked out in a towel.
"Did I miss something?" He asked.
"Just a few rats needed to be thrown out." Erza replied before walking into the bathroom.
Nicholas walked over to the desk and saw the broken stone. "You took one of the stones?"
"Hey, I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth." Brianna chuckled.
"I'd have done the same, I just don't think we can trust him." Nicholas replied. "Still, we just have to wait and see."
Hours past as the three sat on the floor, playing the tenth game of poker in the night. "They're late..." Erza said, playing the winning hand again.
"I still say this is an unfair advantage." Nicholas complained as the red head shuffled the deck.
The doors opened and the rest of the team entered the room. "Explain yourselves." Erza demanded as she sat on the bed. "Where have you been all this time?"
"Having a completely unenjoyable meal." Gray answered.
"I kinda got a little lost." Lucy confessed.
Natsu just sat in silence before erupting into anger. "Those stupid jerks are gonna wish they never messed with me!"
"Do any of you know where Wendy went off too?" Brianna asked, confusing the others.
"It's a pretty safe bet that Carla is with them." Happy spoke up. "And it's not like her to get lost."
The door opened and the two youngest Strauss siblings walked in. "We brought some supplies." Elfman said as Lisanna set her bag down and go the angry Natsu.
"Don't worry, Natsu. You'll show them what you can do." She said, patting his back.
Elfman blinked at the action before smiling. "Finally, I thought you two would never get together." He chuckled.
"Hey, have either of you two seen Wendy or Carla?" Brianna asked, confusing the two.
"She hasn't come back yet." Gray explained. "Those of us competing should probably stay here until midnight." The clock struck twelve and rang throughout the city.
"Attention all Grand Magic Games participants, good morning!" The wizards raced out of the room before seeing a massive transparent pumpkin headed mascot. "To narrow down the one hundred thirteen guilds competing in the games to a more controllable eight, we will now begin this years preliminary round!"
"This is news..." Erza mumbled. 'Why keep this a secret? Why all these new procedures? A high number of guilds, and this mysterious magic power. What are the organizers planning?'
"As the number of guilds have increased every year, this time we thought we'd do something different." The mascot resumed before every inn in the city started rising up. "Now you all be participating in a race to see who will compete this year! Your target is the Domus Flau coliseum! Only the first eight teams to reach will compete during the games this year!"
A stone path suddenly appeared in front of every inns balcony. "You're free to use whatever magic you like, so go wild. But remember, all five team members must be present to count as qualifying. And one last thing, we are not responsible of any loss of life that may occur in the labyrinth."
A giant orb appeared over the projection and the paths stopped. "With that, let the qualifying round Sky Labyrinth begin!"
"Well if it's a race, we'd better get moving!" Gray declared.
"No wait." Erza spoke up. "The rules say that all five members need to reach the goal, so we can't leave without Wendy."
The others began to panic before a chuckle surprised them. "Why wait for a little girl when you can have a real man!?" Elfman asked before grabbing the other four and racing up the path.
"You all go and look for Wendy now!" Erza ordered at the group staying behind. "I'm worried something might have happened!"
"You go it!" Lisanna shouted before the raced into the street
"I'll check back here, you guys good with that?" Nicholas asked, earning a nod before the five split up.
Sky Labyrinth
"This is crazy, like a giant 3-D maze in here." Gray said, looking around the sphere.
"I hate puzzles like this." Natsu grumbled.
"We should head east." Erza declared, pulling out a compass. "That's where the colosseum was when we were on the ground. Lucy, you make a map. We do not want to get lost in here." The blonde nodded before they raced forward up some eastern steps.
Natsu's ears perked up at the sound of argument grew closer. Twilight Ogre came into view and shouted about payback, only to get utterly destroyed by the Fairy Tail team.
The orb shook violently before it started spinning around. Natsu and Lucy slipped and started falling to the ground, only for Elfman to reach out and grab them out of the air. The momentum stopped and a map fell from the Ogre group.
Erza smiled with a stars in her eyes before the same look spread onto Elfman, Natsu and Gray. "I think I just figured out how we're going to get ahead in the preliminary." She chuckled, scaring Lucy. "Find teams and start taking their maps. Then Lucy can figure it out."
The team crushed anyone who got in their way before the labyrinth started shaking again. Teams started falling out of the orb before it stopped again. Soon enough they reached the goal, the mascot underneath a glowing 'You pass' sign.
"Congratulations, Team Fairy! You cleared the preliminary round!" The mascot cheered while clapping.
"Awesome! I bet we got first place!" Lucy cheered in excitement.
"Uh... no." The pumpkin replied, crushing her hopes. "In fact, you got eighth place. As in you barely qualified." Everyone stared in shock before falling over.
Crocus
"Hey, have you guys found anything?" Lisanna asked as she saw Happy, Slate and Brianna come into view.
"Nothing." Slate replied. "I searched high and low and couldn't find anything."
Happy glanced over his 'mothers' shoulder before flying to a small purse. "This is... Wendy's." He mumbled.
Brianna looked around before running to some bushes. "Hey! I found them!" She shouted, picking the unconscious two off the ground. "What do you think happened to them?"
"Whatever it is, I barely sense any magic power from them." Lisanna said, concern in her voice.
Hours Later
Domus Flau
The roar of the crowd punctured the locker room of the Fairy Tail team, scaring the competing teens. "Listen to that crowd." Erza mumbled.
"The city is full of wizards from all over the country." Gray added. "Of course people want to see them in action."
Natsu stared down at the purple version of his outfit and groaned. "Purple is so lame... why can't I wear my regular clothes instead of this crap?"
"You want to tell Master why the clothes he picked are lame?" Lucy asked before turning to Gray. "PUT YOUR FREAKING SHIRT ON!"
Elfman mumbled in disbelief before holding up Wendy's dress. "I don't really care about the color, but I doubt I could squeeze into this thing."
"Seriously, did bench press a mountain or something?" Gray asked.
Elfman sighed before speaking up. "She's the one who should be standing here..." He mumbled. "Do you think Wendy will be alright?"
"With Porlyusica here, she should recover her strength in no time." Erza said. "But this Magic Deficiency Syndrome seems pretty severe."
"The person who attacked Wendy... do you think they're in the games as well?" Natsu asked, wrapping his scarf around his neck.
"I'd say there's strong possibility." Lucy nodded, hooking her keypouch onto her belt.
"You gotta wonder if they did it to weaken our team or something else?" Gray asked, throwing on his jacket.
"Keep your eyes on the prize for now." Elfman said, throwing on his new vest. "Winning this thing is the best way to get revenge for Wendy." The others nodded and left the room before walking to their assigned entrance.
The voice of the standard announcers Chapati and Yajima grew louder before they introduced their guest announcer, Jenny Realight. The five marched into the arena as Natsu raised his fist, only for the crowd to start booing them. "What the hell?"
"Who would have thought they'd make it this far after losing every?" Chapati asked, only fueling the fire. "Getting a spot in the prelims was no small feat, even if it was last place. Will the Tenrou Teams return help bring them to first place?"
Lucy sighed in disappointment before Erza patted her back. "Don't let it get to you." She said before pointing to the guild's view box where everyone was cheering. "The cheers of our comrades is all the support we-" The two stared in shock as Mavis suddenly appeared in the stands.
"First Master Mavis, what are you doing here?" Makarov asked in shock.
"I came fo cheer you on, silly." Mavis teased. "Don't worry. Only those who bear our guilds emblem will be able to see me. And it's so dull being stuck on Tenrou Island."
"Next up is seventh place, the army of Hell Hounds, Quatro Cerberus!" The second guild walked out, followed by sixth place: the all female guild Mermaid Heel. Fifth place was Blue Pegasus, and Lamia Scale took fourth.
The small pink haired girl in the back tripped and fell over, catching Natsu and Gray's attention. "She looks like a small Sherry."
"Well, she is Sherry's cousin." Yuka chuckled.
"Not to mention crazy strong." Toby added.
Lyon and Gray stared at each other in anger as Erza jumped back as Ichiya started sniffing her. "Let's get back on track." Chapati declared. "In third place is a shocker. Making their debut in this year's games: The midnight raiders, Raven Tail."
"What are they doing here!?" Natsu shouted as every member of Fairy Tail glared at the five.
"Why is a dark guild participating?" Makarov growled out. "Have you officials lost your mind or did you not have any to begin with!?" Macao had to hold the multiple time master back as the crowd started to whisper in fear and confusion.
"There records appear to be in order..." Chapati said, rustling through some papers. "Official sources say they've been around for seven years, but they've only just been approved by the Magic Council."
The armored member of the team walked over to Fairy Tail quintet. "Fairy Tail... I trust your friend is recovering." A brown imp appeared on the shoulder of another member before it turned into Wendy and fainted.
"You were the ones who attacked Wendy?" Natsu growled out. "I'm gonna make you regret it."
Alexei chuckled before turning around. "The festival is just getting started. Enjoy the games." He walked away to his team, ignoring the glare from the five.
The crowd started whispering about the next to team in confusion. "If Sabertooth is first, who the hell is second?" Gray asked. "Think it has something to do with Zeref?"
"That assumes Jellal's intuition is right." Erza added.
"Well, this is a surprise!" Chapati shouted, confusing everyone else in the arena as they watched the designated entrance. "This year's games just got a whole lot more interesting! It's Fairy Tail Team B!"
Nicholas, Juvia, Gajeel, Mirajane and Laxus walked out, all in black versions of their normal outfits. "What the hell is going on!?" Natsu shouted. "Why didn't you tell us this?"
"Makarov wouldn't let me." Nicholas replied before turning to Raven Tail. "So they attacked Wendy?"
"Yeah... the bastards." Natsu growled. "But can we get back to YOU GUYS BEING HERE!?"
"It looks like many people are confused by newly implemented rules. Care to explain, Mr. Yajima?" The main announcer asked.
"Sure thing." The new chef said. "The committee permitted each guild to have two teams enter the preliminary. They thought it would make them more excited."
Makarov laughed at the plan while the announcers worried about the rules. Natsu raced over and threw a punch at Nicholas, who countered with a gut punch to Natsu. Both groaned in pain before the two butted heads, glaring at each other. "I ain't gonna lose to any of you." The pinkette declared.
"That makes two of us." The brunette said back, their magic power rolling off their bodies.
"I guess that settles thing. And finally, the first place team!" The crowd started cheering as Chapati spoke again. "That's right. You know them, you love them! The strongest guild in all of Fiore; SABERTOOTH!"
Sting lead his team out and stared at Natsu. "Why so serious? It's just a game."
Gajeel turned around and found Rogue staring at him. "There a reason you keep staring at me, pretty boy?"
"Nothing important." The third-gen replied.
"All and all, I say we have an impressive collection of wizards this year." Chapati declared. "It's about time we unveil the schedule for this year's tournament." A massive stone tablet rose out of the ground, exciting everyone. "Each round will begin with a contest, and the participants will then be ranked from first to last and given points accordingly.
"Teams are allowed to decided who participates. And then we have the battles, which should get everyone excited. Each one has a time limit and the wining team will get ten points. The losers get squat and a draw mean each team gets five points. Ready to start this year's Grand Magic Games?"
The crowd erupted into cheers, giving him the answer. "Then let's get things started with a game called 'Hidden'. At this time, each team must select one member. After that, we will explain the rules."
One by one, each guild put a member up: Yeager from Quatro, Beth from Mermaid, Nalpudding from Raven Tail, Eve from Pegasus and a man by the name of Rufus Lore from Sabertooth. Lyon stepped forward from Lamia Scale, catching Gray's attention.
"I got this." He declared. "I've been itching to see what this tournament is all about."
Juvia instantly volunteered for her team, taking the last spot. "Don't go throwing this for your pretend boyfriend, ya got it!?" Gajeel shouted.
Decided to show something else from canon with the room scene, and who thought my OC would be replacing Wendy? Nope. Never made any sense how they never explained how Jellal passed entrance when official should have been looking for the guild mark. Well, not an issue in this one.
Beta read by General Feng Xiang.