Chapter 192

Midnight Comes

It wasn't too long before we were enjoying ourselves in the restaurant. Elfman, Lisanna, and I told Sieri about our adventures as we ate. After that, Sieri told us what she had been up to the past years and about Lapis. However, nothing could have prepared me for what the woman told us about her. Elfman, Lisanna, and I couldn't help but be surprised when she did.

"What?! Are you serious?!" the three of us screamed together.

Sieri chuckled. "Whoa, you might want to keep it down. Don't want to cause too much of a stir."

The three of us then looked around, noticing the people inside were now looking in our direction, and quickly calmed down.

"But seriously? That little girl is your daughter?" Elfman asked incredulously. "That's nuts."

"I'll say. Although, now that I think about it, Lapis does look just like you," Lisanna hummed thoughtfully.

"And... is the father who I think it is?" I asked.

"Yeah. It's Finn. I mean, who would have thought, right?" Sieri grinned. "I mean, I never would've guessed it either. A hopeless romantic woman like me ends up with a wonderful man like Finn and has a kid with him."

"Well, congratulations, Sieri," said Lisanna. "So when did you and Finn get together?"

"Let's see... I'd say for quite a few years," replied Sieri. "Not long after you kids left Osia, the two of us carried on like usual despite the circumstances. But then, Finn and I have been steadily growing close with each other until we started dating, and the rest is history. Even though Finn's been busy with his job as a doctor and working with Tu Chi, he still made time to spend it with me. He even started teaching me magic, too."

"No way! You know magic?!" I exclaimed.

Tu Chi then smiled as she held up her hand as a small swirling stream of water shot out from it. "What do you think?" she grinned proudly. "Tu Chi and Finn offered to train me, and now I'm a full-fledged kunoichi or whatever that's called."

"So, how did you come to know Fairy Tail?" asked Elfman. "And how long have you known them?"

"At the time, I believe it was around five years ago," hummed Sieri thoughtfully. "Back in those days, Lapis was a baby, and Finn had already passed away. I remember being so depressed and scared, unsure how to go about my life. But then, Tu Chi came along and took me to Fairy Tai, hoping to lift my spirits and make some friends. I admit I wasn't too keen on it at first, but as soon as I met the people there and got to know them, I eventually came around. The people there were so kind to me, and I became good friends with Alzack and Bisca, while Lapis and Asuka became thick as thieves. Since then, we've been visiting Magnolia from time to time."

"I only wish we could have seen you sooner," said Lisanna. "Unfortunately, there were some circumstances."

"Don't worry about it. Tu Chi explained everything, so I understand," said Sieri. "Besides, I felt that you kids wouldn't get killed off so easily."

I couldn't help but feel impressed. "I can't believe this woman's optimism and faith," I thought. "I can't even imagine what she went through when Finn died, but seeing her like this makes me wonder how much she's changed. She seems so mature now. It's like she's become a different person. It almost makes me miss the hopeless romantic version of her."

"Speaking of which, there's something I want to know," went on Tu Chi. "And I want you three to answer me honestly."

"Sure. What is it, Sieri?" I asked her.

The woman quickly glanced around, appearing to make sure that there was no one else around, then she spoke lowly while gesturing her hand in a whisper smirking mischievously at Elfman and me.

"So, tell me, how have you kids been doing in the romance department? I heard on the grapevine that two certain boys have found some pretty girls."

Immediately, my body instinctively stiffen.

Elfman, on the other hand, almost jumped up from the table. "Wh-What?! I don't know what you're talking about!" he snapped flusteredly. "Who even told you about that?!"

"Oh, come on, Elfman. No need to pretend," Sieri grinned slyly. "Supposedly, you got yourself hitched to a girl named Evergreen and are planning to have babies with her."

Elfman's face went as red as a beet as steam erupted from his head. Then he looked across to Lisanna. "Hey, Sis! I thought I told you that was just a lie to throw Mira off guard at the S class trial!"

"Don't look at me! I didn't say anything! I swear!" squeaked Lisanna. "Although, I probably would I have told her anyway."

Sieri then laughed. "Easy there, Elfman. I heard it from the other guild members. But it does make me wonder about your reaction." She then flashed a cat-like grin. "Could it be that you have a crush on this Evergreen~?"

"No, I don't!" Elfman huffed as he turned away. "Why would a real man like me like someone that constantly complains and always smacks me with her fan?!"

"Awww! That's adorable!" gushed Sieri. "That's one way to get a guy's attention. After all, the more she picks on you, the more she likes you."

"That's what I was thinking!" chirped Lisanna. "Not to mention that they made a good team back on Tenrou Island, and they even beat Mira."

"Come on, Lisanna. Don't you start too," Elfman groaned. "Geez, you may be a mom now, Sieri, but you haven't changed."

Sieri giggled. "What can I say? Once a romantic, always a romantic."

I remained silent while sipping my water, pretending not to pay attention and mentally taking back what I thought before.

Sieri then looked in my direction. "So, what about you, Willy? Have you developed a crush on anyone since we last saw each other?" she asked.

"No, I'm afraid I haven't," I replied, keeping myself neutral and expecting a lecture.

However, Sieri smiled. "I see. I suppose I can let you off the hook then," she said. "No helping that, I suppose."

Immediately, I almost choked on my water, spitting it out in surprise, but barely managed to swallow it. "I-I'm sorry. What did you say, Sieri?" I asked.

"I said it's fine," replied Sieri. "If you don't have a crush, then it's fine. No need to pry," She then got up. "Now then, now that we've had our fill, why don't we do a little shopping and sightseeing? We do have a bit of time to ourselves, and there's a place I want to take you."

She then walked away from the table to pay for the bill.

"Well, that was weird," said Elfman. "Normally, Sieri would be like, "Come on! You're wasting your youth for love!" Or something like that."

"I know. I wonder what that's about?" wondered Lisanna.

Even I couldn't help but agree. It was a bit out of character for Sieri and made me wonder why she let me off the hook. However, I felt a bit relieved. The last thing I wanted was for her to start teasing me about Mira.

After we left the restaurant, we walked around town following Sieri. As we did, we also did a bit of sightseeing, checking out all the tourist spots in the city, enjoying ourselves. And it wasn't too long before we stopped in front of a clothing shop.

"This is it, you guys! The place I mentioned!" Sieri pointed out. "This shop is one of the best places you can go to buy the latest fashion in Crocus! So, therefore, we're going to do a little shopping. And don't worry about the cost; it's on me."

"Oh wow! Really?! Thank you so much, Sieri!" Lisanna gasped excitedly. "I could use a new outfit."

"Are you sure?" I asked her. "I mean, I'd hate to let you spoil us like this."

"Don't worry about it, Willy. It's no problem," smiled Sieri. "Think of this as a homecoming gift from me. Besides, you could use some new clothes, especially on occasions like this, you got to look your best. Now come on! Time's a-wasting!"

"Yeah! Let's go!" concurred Lisanna.

And the two girls raced into the store, leaving Elfman and me at a loss for words. The two of us looked at each other briefly and shrugged. Then the two of us went inside, following the girls.

We loitered around, looking at different outfits and trying them on. At times, Sieri and Lisanna teased us by having us put on flashy or gaudy clothes, but we made like good sports and had a laugh. The girls even tried on some outfits of their own that were just as bad.

Eventually, after settling down on some clothes we liked, we left the store and checked out some others. At one of them, we bought some snacks and drinks to bring to Natsu's team to help them get through the night. After that, we took some time to rest beside a fountain.

"Whew! I can't remember the last time I had so much fun!" sighed Sieri. "How about you kids?"

"Can't say I'm into that kind of fun," I replied. "But it was pretty interesting, to say the least."

"I can't even remember how many outfits I've tried on," groaned Elfman. "Most of them were either too big or flashy," he smiled as he held up his bag. "But I managed to score a pretty manly outfit."

"Same here," I said as I looked at my bag. "Thanks again, Sieri. We appreciate it."

"Anytime," winked Sieri. "Just make sure you take care of them, OK?"

As we continued to rest while snacking, I took a look around. It was now sunset, and the townspeople were still bustling about decorating. I noticed that among the crowd, there were some people in groups of five walking past, looking determined and ready to fight, which led me to assume that they were wizards participating in the Grand Magic Games. However, I saw other people separate from those groups, shadow punching and stretching.

Then, a group of six walked past us, looking very excited.

"All right, this is it, guys! Our chance to shine!" said a male. "This year, our guild will win the Grand Magic Games!"

"Yeah! And while we're at it, our secret weapon will win that tournament, too!" said another male as he nudged another member. "We got a strong team, but we also got a good representative!"

"Don't you worry, guys! You can count on me!" the big male grinned. "Even if we lose the games, I'll make sure to win and take that championship!"

"A tournament?" I wondered out loud. "I wonder what they're talking about?"

"No idea," said Lisanna. "I assumed they were talking about the games, but it seems to be something else."

"And shouldn't there be five members instead of six?" wondered Elfman. "Unless there's a hidden rule that allows six that Levy didn't mention."

"Oh! I'm surprised you guys don't know," said Sieri. "Most likely, those guys are participating in the games and having their sixth member participate in the Crocus Fighters Tournament."

"Crocus Fighters Tournament?" I repeated. "Never heard of that."

"Yeah. If the name doesn't make it obvious enough, it's a fighting tournament that goes on alongside the Grand Magic Games made to appeal to the fans," explained Sieri. "Long story short, it's your run-of-the-mill single-elimination tournament. Wizards come from all over Fiore to compete, and it's just as big as the Grand Magic Games, only for this one, whoever wins, earns the title of strongest mage."

"Wow! A fighter's tournament sounds freaking manly!" Elfman spoke with interest. "Sign me up!"

"It's a pity that Natsu and the others don't know about it," I said. "A fighting tournament sounds right up his alley. Gajeel too."

"Yeah, but then again, Natsu's already taking part in the Grand Magic Games, so I don't see the point," said Lisanna. "Not to mention we still don't know where Gajeel is."

"Even if they wanted to, I doubt they'd be able to," said Sieri. "You see, only one single member is allowed per guild to participate."

"Only one member?" I repeated. "That does make sense. If every guild member planned to participate, I can't imagine how complicated that would get."

"Yeah, but it's pretty amazing to watch," Sieri said. "And if you manage to win the whole shebang, you'll get a special championship belt for a prize and earn a custom nickname known as a title. The title doesn't seem like much, but that champion belt is something else."

"You seem to know a lot about it, Sieri," said Lisanna. "I take it you've seen it before."

"Quite a few times. Lapis and I would watch them on lacrima vision," replied Sieri. "I think that Fairy Tail's even had a few members represent them. But sadly, I'm afraid that none of them ever made it pretty far."

"Well, maybe we'll be able to win this year," I said. "Although, picking a representative from our guild will be tricky. Most of our strongest wizards are already participating in the games or MIA. Then again, it is getting pretty late, so registering is probably over by now."

"I wouldn't worry about that," smiled Sieri. "I'd say Fairy Tail's got that taken care of already."

I looked across to Sieri. "We do? Does that mean that there's already someone participating in it?" I asked her.

Before Sieri could respond, a swarm of people ran past, interrupting her as a large crowd began to form.

"Come on! Hurry up! He's coming!" I heard someone shout. "He's walking this way!"

Feeling curious about what was going on, I went towards the crowd, wondering what had them so excited. I gently pushed my way in until I saw the source.

A young man was walking past, and as he did, the people began to clap and cheer for him. He was tall and muscular, almost as much as Elfman, had long, spiky, shoulder-length light green hair held back by a black band, and black tattoos, their designs being circles with feathers on one side, on the sides of his shoulders and biceps. He also wore white pants with black stripes, boots, and a tiger-colored pelt wrapped around his waist. He also had brown armbands with black edges covering his forearms, three ornamental gold rings around his neck, three black stripes painted on his chin, and a large gold belt adorned by a symbol of tiger's head with the word "champion" in its mouth resting on his right shoulder.

The crowd cheered and clapped, and he made his way while answering them back with a wave and a smile.

Elfman, Lisanna, and Sieri also came up.

"Whoa! Who is that guy?" wondered Lisanna. "He's almost as big as Elfman!"

"Yeah, no kidding," concurred Elfman. "Not to mention that he's got all of these people eating out of the palm of his hand."

"That is the current champion," replied Sieri. "Not long after you guys disappeared, he managed to make his way to the top and held the title and championship for the past few years. He's the man holding the title known as Zeus' Mightiest Champion and a member of Sabertooth, Orga Nanagear."

"Orga Nanagear?" I couldn't help but repeat. "And he's a member of Sabertooth?"

Then, at that moment, Orga happened to turn towards my direction, and his eyes seemed to fall upon mine. He seemed to flinch briefly. Then he walked towards us.

"Say, have I seen you somewhere before?" he spoke. "You look familiar."

He then took time to think while tapping his chin, then he realized.

Orga then realized. "Oh, yeah! I remember now! You're that guy Willy Falconer, right?"

The moment he said my name, a bad feeling crept into my stomach as the crowd around me began to murmur and whisper.

"Well, so this is what you look like in the flesh," Orga went on. "I heard you got quite a reputation, but I ain't impressed. You seem a bit too scrawny and wimpy to me. So, I guess this means the rumors about you coming to Crocus are true. But I do hope you don't plan on competing."

Sensing the hostility and scorn in his voice, I glared, but then Elfman and Lisanna approached.

"And what's the problem if he wants to?" Elfman challenged.

Then, I heard some of the people in the crowd begin to laugh and jeer.

"Come on! You can't be serious!"

"That guy? No way!"

"Considering that he's with those Fairy Tail clowns, he doesn't stand a chance!"

"Not to mention, he's the guy everyone talks about."

"Now, Now. Take it easy," Orga called out to the crowd. "I've got no qualms about him competing. If he wants to, then let him. Although, I can't say if he should even attempt it. After all, he's a lowly dragon slayer." He then shook his head. "No, I take that back. He's not even a dragon slayer because he couldn't slay one. After all, he went up against one and fled like a coward and abandoned his guild like a traitor."

"And what would you know?" Lisanna huffed. "You weren't even there in the first place!"

"Either way, I can think of a few other dragon slayers that are far superior to this wimp," Orga continued. "And to add to that, I'm just as strong as them if not more."

"Is that a fact?" Elfman growled, cracking his knuckles. "Then, how's about you prove it, wise guy?!"

He stomped forward, ready and raring to fight, but I quickly stepped in front blocking his way.

"Elfman! That's enough!" I barked firmly. "Calm down!"

"Come on, Willy! Don't tell me that you're going to take this crap from this guy!" Elfman snarled. "I don't care if he is some kind of champion! No one talks about my friend like that!"

"I know, but let it go," I told him. "He's not worth it."

"But Willy...!" protested Lisanna, also sounding upset.

But then, Sieri came up, putting a hand on her shoulder, calming her down, silently shaking her head. Elfman was still growling with fury, but he took a step back. I then turned to face Orga.

"Orga, right? I'd be wasting my time telling you that everything you just said isn't true, but I will give you a piece of advice," I said. "There's a saying that the weakest dog barks the loudest, so that makes me wonder if you're strong as you claim to be, or are you just putting on a show to look good?"

Some of the people in the crowd seemed to gasp, while others appeared angry.

"Yo! Is this guy talking smack to Orga?!"

"He's got a lot of nerve!"

Orga rose a brow as he stared at me. Then, he laughed. "Pretty cute comeback, kid," he said. "But I'm not the champ for nothing. I've beaten countless wizards who dared to challenge me, and I'm not afraid to show the world what I'm capable of, and I'm ready and welcoming all challengers. I'll tell you what. If you ever work up the guts to participate in the games or the tournament, we of the Sabertooth guild will show you how strong we are."

He held up his free hand as it began to crackle and spark with strange black electricity. Then, in a mighty blast, he shot a powerful bolt of black lightning straight into the sky that boomed and cracked while releasing a strong gust of wind. Most of the people in the vicinity either shielded their eyes or braced themselves against the wind. Even I couldn't help but protect my eyes a bit from this sudden display of power.

As the wind died down, Orga then walked away, chuckling smugly.

After that ordeal, Elfman, Lisanna, and I headed for the Honey Bone Inn to drop off the snacks to Natsu and the others. Sieri had gone back to the hotel to check up on Lapis and promised that we would see her later. As we walked, I couldn't help but think about Orga and what he said. Despite it being irritating, I knew that I had to pick my battles.

It wasn't too long before we arrived at our destination, and we made our way into the building until we entered Natsu's room.

"Hey, you guys! We bought you guys some provisions to help you get through the night!" greeted Elfman.

"Tomorrow is a big day, after all!" Lisanna chirped cheerily.

"And you're all going to need some energy," I added.

"Willy! Elfman! Lisanna!" Gray spoke with surprise. "Thanks a lot, you guys!"

"Hey, did you guys come to watch us beat the other guilds?" asked Natsu.

"Well, originally, I hoped to get in on the action to impress my sisters and Willy," said Elfman. "But a real man knows when to quit."

"That's the attitude, Elfman," I said while patting his shoulder. "And maybe you'll be able to participate next year."

Elfman lightly smiled at me. "Yeah. I guess you're right," he said.

"We appreciate you coming here. You have perfect timing," said Erza. "Do the four of you mind doing us a small favor?"

"Sure. What do you need?" asked Lisanna.

"Did something happen?" I also asked.

"Well, it's about Wendy and Carla," explained Erza. "The two of them have yet to return, and it's almost midnight."

"And the rest of us should hang out here until it turns twelve," said Gray.

"Does that mean that something will happen around that time, as the rules said before?" I wondered.

Before anyone could answer, an audible clack came from the clock, prompting us to look up. Sure enough, both hands were on twelve, signaling that it was midnight. At the same time, there was the sound of a bell ringing throughout the city. It sounded more than twelve times, and a loud voice came at that moment.

"Attention all participants of this year's Grand Magic Games! Good morning!"

"Outside!" said Erza.

And we all scrambled to the balcony, only to find an unexpected sight awaiting our eyes. Above the city was a giant hologram-like image of a figure having a pumpkin for a head, a red striped shirt with white pants, a long green cape, and a wizard's hat.

"What in the heck is that thing?!" Natsu exclaimed.

"Some kind of hologram?" guessed Lucy.

"It's a great, big pumpkin!" Happy cried with enthusiasm.

"To narrow down the one-hundred and thirteen guilds in this year's games to manageable eight," the hologram spoke out. "Let's get started with the preliminary round!"

"Are you kidding me?!" exclaimed Gray.

"There was no mention of this!" Erza also exclaimed.

"Well, I guess that answers that question!" I spoke out in bewilderment. "Although, that leaves a lot of other ones I have right now."

"Although the number of guilds increase and multiply each year, "The Games have gotten boring now" is all I ever hear," the pumpkin continued as it began dancing in a jig. "So, "Let's whittle them down," I say to you! And let's give eight a cheer!"

Then, the entire building began to rattle and shake and suddenly shot up high into the air. While everyone held on to something for dear life, I couldn't but feel a bit motion sick and desperately restrained the urge to throw up. Then, the building came to a stop. As everyone recollected themselves and looked outside, we saw that we were not only several feet high in the air, but other inns had risen from their positions.

In addition, several stone paths began to form starting from the inn's positions, including our own, and leading up to a giant sphere that had mysteriously appeared in the sky.

The pumpkin figure spoke out again. "Now, the rules of this preliminary round are simple! You will all be participating in a race with the finish line at the Domus Flau Coliseum! The first eight teams to reach it will move on to the Grand Magic Games! Also, you're free to use magic however you see fit! There are no restrictions! But remember, only the first eight teams to reach the finish line will clear this round! However, all five members must cross the goal for it to count! Oh, and one more thing," He paused ominously. "We are not responsible for any loss of life that might occur in the labyrinth. Now, without further ado, let the Grand Magic Games preliminary round known as Sky Labyrinth begin!"

"Well, we better get going," said Gray. "After all, this is a race."

"Yeah! Let's get going!" roared Natsu.

"No, wait!" interjected Erza. "The rules state that all five members must reach the goal, and Wendy is still missing!"

"Oh, no! You're right!" gasped Lucy.

"Wendy! Where are you?!" Natsu yelled. "We need you!"

"Now, what are going to do?" wondered Gray.

I was at a loss myself, unsure of what to do.

Then, Elfman bravely stepped forward. "Why bother to wait for a little girl when you got a real man ready to go?!" he grinned.

At first, everyone stared blankly at Elfman, but I quickly realized that he had the right idea.

"Elfman's right! There's nothing in the rules that says anything about a member change!" I said. "Besides, you guys don't have the time to be waiting around! So, Elfman, you go and take Wendy's place! Show everyone how a real man does it!"

A brief moment of surprise crossed Elfman's face while I gave him a thumbs up. Then, a wide toothy grin stretched his cheeks.

"Yeah! Just leave it to me!"

Before Natsu and his team could react, he shot forward, scooped them up in his arms, with two on each side, and raced away along the stone path. Erza then called out to us.

"Willy! Lisanna! Happy! You three look for Wendy and Carla! I'm worried that they might have run into some trouble!"

"Don't worry! We'll go around town and see what we can find out!" Lisanna called back.

"Good luck, you guys!" Happy also yelled. "Go, team!"

We then watched as the five faded away in the distance disappearing into the Sky Labrinth. I then turned to Happy and Lisanna.

"Listen up, you two! You need to go find Warren and the other Fairy Tail members!" I told them. "If Wendy and Carla are in some kind of trouble, we'll need Warren's telepathy and everyone else helping to cover more ground!"

"But what about you, Willy?" asked Lisanna.

"I'm going to search from the air and use my Aqua Sense," I replied as I climbed on the railing. "With a little luck, I'll be able to find them if I detect their magic powers. As soon as you find Warren, have him contact me!"

Lisanna gave a firm nod. "Right! You got it!"

"Aye, sir!" concurred Happy.

I gave them a nod back and leaped off the railing, plummeting towards the town below.

"Good luck, Willy!" I heard Lisanna call. "Make sure you find Wendy and Carla!"

"Don't worry! I will!" I shouted back. "Count on it!"

I made water shoot out from the bottoms of my feet while my water wings sprouted forth from my back and, with a mighty flap, took flight flying to the west to begin my search.

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As always, thank you for reading! And I'll see you next chapter!

Dragomaster, signing off!