Hello everyone! Welcome back! I want to apologize if the last few chapters were a bit all over the place. I know that it might have been a little hard to keep track off, but now that we are actually getting into the Games I am going to make sure that event wise the story is rather smooth. Thanks again to my amazing, stunning, brilliant, beta! They are my angel! I hope you like this chapter of "If we could only go back in time." Next chapter we are going to have a bit more FRAXUS so stick around for that!


"The rules state that all teams competing need to be in their respective inns by midnight." Mira said in a soft voice. There was a book in her lap containing the rules for the Grand Magic Games that she was going over.

Juvia looked up from the small ball of water she was having hover in her hand to watch Mira. "Juvia thinks that it must be a form of bonding!" She chimed with a smile.

Mira smiled at the water mage and ignored the grunt coming from Gajeel.

"How would they even know if we were in the room at all?" Gajeel tried to argue. He was lying down on his bed gnawing on a steel bolt that he had stolen from an old carriage.

Laxus, who was leaning against the doorway of the balcony, hummed in agreement.

Jellal spoke up. "I'm sure that these games have a way of tracking it's players."

"Jellal is right. We would do better by not questioning it." Mira declared.

"Mira-sama!" Juvia warned.

They had been told not to call Jellal by his actual name.

A blush of embarrassment colored the She-Devil's cheeks when she began to apologize to Jellal.

However, the pair had no time to reconcile when the clock struck midnight.

The sound of the clock chiming broke through the silence and everyone held their breath waiting for any form of instructions.

When the chiming stopped a booming voice was heard throughout all of the Royal City.

"Attention, guild members who've gathered for the Grand Magic Games! G'morning!"

At the sudden news of the games everyone in the room ran to the balcony. They looked up at the sky to see a giant pumpkin head.

"The hell is this?" Gajeel asked outraged.

Laxus looked up with confusion, but even that couldn't hide the annoyance in his voice. "Shut up, Gajeel!"

"The preliminary round that will narrow the 113 participating teams down to a measly 8 will begin!"

Mira looked shocked at the sound of so many teams. "Just how many guilds have decided to put in more than one team?"

Juvia took a step closer to Gajeel, staring warily at the hologram of the pumpkin. "Juvia doesn't know if we can make it through the preliminary round."

On the other side of town other guilds were having the same shocked attitude.

"So 12:00 was the start of the preliminary round?" Lyon asked in confusion. There had never been a preliminary round before. Why start now?

Jura stood up from his seat and walked to Lyon's side. "113 guilds, narrowed down to only 8 in one fell swoop…"

Freed let Chelia hold his arm as they moved outside to stare up at the floating pumpkin.

"There's so many guilds!" The God slayer observed.

"With more and more guild entering every year, the games are getting boring is all I ever hear. So this year only eight teams will vie for our cheer! The preliminary round rules are simple!" The pumpkin head declared.

"We must be ready for anything!" Jellal declared. He took a few steps towards the railing of the balcony. The other four members of the team mirrored his actions.

Laxus took this time to eye all his comrades. They were truly Fairy Tail's strongest; it was a sure deal that they would win the games.

Then Laxus thought of something else. If we win the games, then I'll be able to get Freed back!

Something about that thought had Laxus' blood boiling with determination.

He then thought that somewhere in the city Freed was looking at the same thing he was. Fighting with the wrong guild and surrounded with the wrong people.

However, he was broken from his train of thought.

The earth around them began to tremble, the low sound of rumbling making his ears ring.

"What the…?" Gajeel exclaimed, clearly confused.

Juvia next to him lost her footing, but the iron dragon was able to catch her before she fell.

Mira was in the same situation, but Laxus reached out to the bar maid with a steadying hand which was able to keep her from falling.

"The earth is moving!" Juvia said with slight amazement.

Jellal shook his head, holding on to the railing. "No, the inn is transforming and look, so are the others!"

"You can't be serious!" Gajeel asked. His face was starting to turn an unflattering shade of green.

Laxus was in the same state, his stomach rolling over, forcing acid to rise at the back of his throat.

Mira took note of her teammates distress. She let her hand fall on Laxus' shoulder hoping that her touch would be enough to stop the swaying of Laxus' feet.

Juvia had her arms around Gajeel's chest to try and keep him grounded as well.

Even over the sound of the transforming inns the hologram was still able to be heard.

"You will participate in a race! The Domus Flau stadium is the goal. The first eight teams to reach it will qualify for the Games." As the mascot said those words paths started to form in front of the balcony.

"Are we supposed to use those?" Laxus groaned. He reached out for the railing for support.

Mira eyed the path that began to extend towards them, noting the many that went into different directions around the Royal City.

"You're free to use magic! There are no limitations! Remember, only the first eight teams to reach the goal will clear the preliminary round! However, all five team members must cross the goal for it to count. Also…we are not responsible for any loss of life that happens in the labyrinth."

Now that the building had stopped moving both dragon slayers were able to recover from their motion sickness.

Laxus pushed away from Mira giving her a nod in thanks. The bar maid smiled in return.

Juvia kept her hands on Gajeel's arms while the man rolled his neck to loosen up his muscles.

"Let the Grand Magic Games' preliminary Sky Labyrinth round begin!" The pumpkin declared.

"It's a race, huh…." Laxus said.

There was something in his tone that had everyone looking at him, smirks forming on all their faces.

Gajeel was the first to act. He pushed off Juvia and ran towards the railing. Jumping over it and sprinting across the newly made path. "Come on, Team Fairy Tail! We have a race to win!" He screamed over his shoulder.

That seemed to snap everyone out of their shock, because soon after they were right on Gajeel's tail, all five members of Fairy Tail Team B running up the path toward the labyrinth.

The moment they were finally inside they had to stop and look around.

"This must be three-dimensional…" Jellal said.

Gajeel looked around, turning on his heel. "Where are we supposed to go?" He asked.

"We have to make it to the arena." Mira answered.

"And that would be where?" Gajeel asked again, this time with a bit of frustration coloring his voice.

Mira ignored it and pulled something out from her dress pocket. "We have to go east, which is in that direction."

A small compass pointed to the direction where her arm was stretched out. Everyone looked up the flight of stairs that would hopefully lead them to the arena. Within moments they were running up the stairs in hopes that they would make it to first place.

Looking around them they took note that it seemed that the world was upside down.

There were doors all around them, some just floating in the air while others were leading up to stairways that ended to nothing.

"We have to stay east bound to try and make it to Domus Flau" Laxus ordered.

Everyone agreed, pushing faster.


Lyon looked around, seeing the many doors and stairways.

"Where do we go from here?" He asked.

Freed, who had been able to recover from his breakdown earlier that afternoon, walked up to his teammate.

They looked in opposite directions hoping to find any sort of clue.

"This is too hard!" Chelia whined. She sat on the floor with her legs crossed and a pout on her lips.

Jura and Yuka began to discuss plans that might work for their team. However, they weren't given enough time before they began to move. Or more like the labyrinth began to rotate.

Freed lost his footing, quickly finding himself falling forward over the edge.

Lyon, acting fast, was able to wrap his arms around Freed's waist. Pressing the rune mage close to his body to try and keep their balance.

"Freed, are you alright?" He asked, his mouth ghosting over the other's cheeks.

The man in question nodded and moved his hands to rest on Lyon's shoulders.

"I'm alright, just lost my footing." He reassured.

Both men held on to one another as the maze continued to move.

Things began to tilt dangerously to the left, having all of Lamia Scale sliding down the floor. Above them mages were falling from the labyrinth to their certain dooms.

Jura used his magic to create another floor for the team to land on, but for two of them, it was too late. Lyon and Freed were free falling towards the Royal City.

"Freed, Lyon!" Chelia screamed. She tried to reach out to the two men but they were too far out. Jura pulled the girl back and had Yuka take a few steps back from the edge as well. They all stared in shock at their falling teammates.

Wind flew past Freed's ears making any other noise almost impossible to hear. He could feel Lyon burry his face in the crook of his neck. Both men trying desperately to stop their decent. Then an idea struck Freed. He moved his hands down Lyon's chest, clasping his hands around the Ice Make mage's back.

"Lyon! Hold on to me!" He ordered.

The ice mage tightened his hold on the rune mage trusting what the man was about to do.

Bright purple runes appeared on Freed's chest. Moments later wings sprouted from his back.

Suddenly the feeling of falling stopped. Freed and Lyon were suspended in air for a short moment until Freed began to fly back to their team.

Lyon looked around to see if he could see anything that would be of use. When his eyes caught sight of a lone wooden door, his eyes widened.

"Freed, I think I found the way to the arena!" Lyon declared.

The rune mage looked around in shock spotting the door. A large grin formed on his lips as he looked to Lyon. "You're brilliant!"

When they reached their team they were buzzing with excitement, sadly, Lamia Scale was anything but. Chelia had her head on Yuka's shoulder, sobbing, saying how it should be impossible that Lyon and Freed were dead. Jura was standing there was a grave look on his face. As if morning a loss. The sight itself was something comical.

Lyon and Freed looked at each other for a moment silently asking each the same question. "do they think we died?"

Thinking that his family's suffering lasted long enough, Freed took a step forward pulling away from Lyon, but letting his hand linger on the ice mage's wrist.

"We found a way to the arena!" He declared rather loudly.

When his teammates heard his voice the first thing they noticed was his wings. It was as if they forgot that he was able to fly.

"Now stop pouting and let's go!" Lyon was the one to speak. A smirk was on his lips when he rose his free fist up in determination. "Lamia Scale is still in this to win!"

Chelia wiped away her tears and ran to embrace Freed, breaking his hold on Lyon's wrist.

"Now let's go!" Freed repeated after Lyon. He took a step back from the younger girl and wiped away her tears.

With that, Lamia Scale was running towards the lone wooden door with power behind every step. The next time the maze moved they were ready and right back on running when it was all over. After going through the most peaceful village they had ever been too and running over an ocean they were finally able to make it to their goal.

In the end, they were the fourth group to make it to the arena, which wasn't bad. Lyon thought that they could have done better, however.

At last however, the Grand Magic Games were now set to begin.


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