Who Needs a Princess, When You Can Have a Queen?
Celestia193's Author's Note: I AM BACK! Meaning, I'm working on my new laptop right now, and I've got all of my precious files intact. Okay, we got a review last chapter that pointed out a few things, including the relative lack of Uchiha badassery. But I promise, it is COMING. In fact, it's coming in such a heaping helping of it, that the final rankings of the games are going to be vastly different than in canon. And both Sasuke and Itachi are going to get their chance to shine. Itachi is going to get the chance to beat up…someone that frankly needs it. Gray's still gonna get a shot at him too, though, don't worry. Itachi won't get all the fun for himself.
Silver's Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews and sorry for the delay. As Celestial said, we were dealing with some technical difficulties. Anyway, in this chapter we have a few battles going on and some girl bonding. There are also slight mentions of implied Natsu x Gray. Nothing too explicit though. Happy reading!
Chapter 9
Trash? Really? Lucy had thought that they'd be a little more dignified than THAT! He audience was booing them and throwing trash? Really? They were acting like children! Almost as much as Natsu was, getting outraged over their less than warm reception.
It was about as much of a shock as finding out that their master had entered a second team in the competition. Yeah, THAT would have been nice to know earlier! They totally got shafted by their master's weird plans!
Erza touches Lucy's shoulder as she fumes. "It's alright, Lucy, they won't be acting this way forever." If nothing else, this competition was meant to restore people's opinions of Fairy Tail. It was only natural that they were going to have to work their way from the bottom, back up to the top.
"Yeah, I know…" But still, it was hard to go from being one of the most revered guilds, to the one that everyone was throwing food and garbage at. And Lucy had joined when Fairy Tail was at its height. Now, it was definitely at its lowest.
"Besides…" Erza casts her eyes in Natsu's direction. "We have more important things to worry about than what the crowd thinks of us." Because by the way Natsu was starting to get up in Gajeel's face, there was every chance that a brawl could break out in the middle of the opening ceremonies. Meaning, in front of Lamia Scale, Mermaid Heel, Quatro Cerberus, Raven Tail, Blue Pegasus, and…Sabertooth. That team gave her a boatload of bad feelings.
Sasuke watches as the man he called Iron Mouth bickers with Natsu. It half looked like the two teammates were going to engage in a brawl. Though that wasn't nearly as important as the fact that Fairy Tail was going to have two teams. Something wasn't right about that. He didn't remember reading that anywhere in the rule book. "Something isn't right about this." The young Uchiha whisper to his brother.
Itachi chuckles, shaking his head. "They seem to have updated the rulebook this year. It allows for each guild to enter two teams, but I doubt that any guild THOUGHT to divide up their most powerful wizards into separate teams, let alone that they would both stand a chance of making it into the actual games this year. You must admit that Fairy Tail now has enough powerful wizards to make at least three, if not four competition-worthy teams. It seems that their master took advantage of the change in the rules."
"If that's the case, why do they look so shocked?" If Fairy Tail was taking advantage of a new rule, they shouldn't look so...unsettled. "Nevermind. I still don't like this." Not only because it could in theory give them an unfair advantage, but it also made them stick out. Which meant the other teams were probably going to be gunning for Fairy Tail now.
"My guess would be that their guild master didn't inform the first team that he was entering a second." At least, that is what Itachi surmised, based on the shock of Team A, but none on the part of Team B.
"I'm glad that Bob is less sneaky." Sasuke mutters. If he had been in Fairy Tail Team A, he would be furious right now. "If that's the case, I imagine Makarov is going to get an earful later." That was of course assuming Itachi was right. Which knowing Itachi, he probably was.
"Likely sooner, rather than later." Itachi winces slightly as Natsu's voice rises above the din, thankfully, not screaming obscenities at the tiny guild master. "Though it seems that whichever team loses is going to be subjected to a 'punishment'." Well, if he understood the half incoherent yelling correctly.
"This won't end well." Sasuke sighs as Natsu once again demonstrates that he had the loudest mouth in all of Earthland.
Little did he know, that Shisui was thinking the same thing. It seemed like too much of an advantage. And if something sounded too good to be true, it probably was. "Bob, do you have any idea what is going on with Fairy Tail?" Having two teams seemed to have shocked them just as much, if not more than anyone else. That hadn't been their idea.
The guild master simply grins widely and laughs. "Oh Maki…how daring!" It was just the kind of unexpected move that everyone should have expected from Fairy Tail.
Shisui blinks at that. "Daring?" He failed to see how this was daring. "They're upping their chances in theory with two teams, but they're also splitting up their strength. I guess I can see how it might be daring, but it seems foolish?" If it was a good idea, surely another team would have employed the same strategy.
"Well, it wouldn't be Fairy Tail if they weren't pushing the limits." Bob shakes his head. "Always the same. And they're probably the only guild out there with the guts, and the means to put in two teams. After all, every single wizard down there is one of their best." The only ones missing were Gildarts, and Makarov himself.
That seemed crazy to Shisui. "And their master isn't worried that such an action would damage their camaraderie?" It was one thing to compete against other guilds, but this meant it was likely that Fairy Tail Wizards would be going up against each other at some point. "I suppose we'll see if the strategy pays off." They must have really felt like they had something to prove, if they were taking such a gamble.
"Of course not. It's Fairy Tail, they're all family there." Bob remembered his own time as a member of that eccentric family. "Besides, they're naturally competitive, now they just have a place to show it!"
Shisui shakes his head. Well he wasn't a member of that guild. "I suppose that their dynamics are just different than ours then." So it wasn't really his problem. He just hoped no one got hurt.
"Yes, they're quite the rambunctious lot, aren't they? Even more than we were when we were the young, new Fairies." Wonderful, sweet memories of his youth. Bob loved them so. "I'm sure that Goldmine and Makarov remember that well."
"Yes, they're very rambunctious." Shisui shakes his head in amusement. "I suppose that's one way to put it." If one were a master of understatement.
Rambunctious was certainly not how Lucy would put it as she dragged Natsu back over to their team. At least he'd gotten them better terms regarding the two teams. The winning team would get to order around the losing team for a whole day. And her head was already brimming with imaginative ideas regarding how to do that.
But more importantly, more than the bet or the glares, or Sabertooth staring at them like the Tigers wanted to eat some Fairies, was that the first of the week's competitions was about to begin. Hidden.
Talk about a disaster. Itachi wasn't entirely certain that things could have gone any worse for Fairy Tail during that competition. The rules were supposed to be simple. Hide and seek at the same time. Hide from your competition, while seeking them out to try and land a blow one them. A blow meant a point, taking one meant that you lost a point. It had seemed simple.
Until Fairy Tail managed to get themselves an obsessed stalker of an ugly little purple man from Raven Tail. Now, Itachi wasn't usually one for insulting someone's looks, but honestly whatever had…happened to that man? Whether he was born like that, or there was some sort of magical accident, he wasn't going to sugarcoat just how vile Nulpudding looked. Especially since his attitude matched his appearance.
The fact was, Raven Tail had it out for Fairy Tail, and anyone with competent eyesight should be able to see that. Meaning…the entire audience was oblivious, save for some of the wizards in attendance.
Fortunately, Eve had managed to place well, despite the difficulty of the game. Though, thanks to a cheap shot performed by Rufus, Sabertooth had swept the game easily enough. Though that spell, the seven bolts of lightning raining down on his competitors was an extremely effective one, it was the man's attitude that made it a cheap shot.
Itachi shakes his head as Ren heads down to the arena floor for his battle. "I suppose that we should have seen this coming. Whenever Fairy Tail is involved, there's bound to be something that goes wrong." And in this case, it was Raven Tail gunning for them. It seemed that they were ignoring both the spirit of the games, as well as common decency. It didn't surprise him that they used to be a dark guild. They certainly still acted like one.
Sasuke nods in agreement. He might be cocky, but he wanted to beat the competition fairly. Gray had never had a chance in that game. "Something is going on and it's personal. The Pudding Freak was clearly targeting him. "I know that Raven Tail's Guild Master is Makarov's son and there is bad blood there, but this is ridiculous."
"Agreed." Not only was Fairy Tail under attack, but Eve was currently paying the price for getting involved in what looked like a grudge match between Raven Tail and Fairy Tail, and another conquest by Sabertooth. No one deserved to be hit with so much magic, let alone Eve. Itachi understood why Eve was competing, of course. It was for the pride of Blue Pegasus. But that still made it no easier to watch.
Luckily, they had good doctors and healers in the arena, if not of the magical kind. It seemed to be an ability that was extremely rare in this world, considered Lost Magic, magic that had largely been wiped from history.
"Speaking of ridiculous, watch out for Rufus." Shisui's own fur was rather ruffled by his display. "His outfit isn't the only thing that is flashy. He's cocky and loves to play to the crowd, but he's a threat and he loves to fight dirty. Don't forget that." Honestly, Itachi was probably the best to go up against that blonde. Sneaky son of a bitch.
Alright. Maybe, he shouldn't insult Rufus's mother like that. He'd never met the woman. "If he's willing to do that in the first contest, there's no telling what he's saving for the finals." It was just he had seen that man compete before and each year, his dislike of him grew. Though Shisui had never actually been matched up against him through sheer dumb luck (or misfortune as he would have loved to clean his clock), he'd seen more than enough of him to know what they were dealing with.
"Duly noted." Itachi glances at his cousin, frowning slightly. "Memory-Make Magic, the ability to memorize spells he's seen, even if it's only once, and then recreate and recombine them in any way he sees fit, isn't that right?" A powerful ability, if you knew how to use it well. And if nothing else, Rufus certainly knew how to use it. "If one were to go up against him, what would you suggest?"
"Kick him in the nuts and steal his funny hat?" Shisui smiles at him cheerfully. "Oh wait. You meant an honorable way to defeat him. Only thing I could think of is to launch your attacks so quickly that he doesn't have time to do anything, but dodge." Rufus was at his core a strategist. "He's brilliant, but if he's reduced to dodging out of instinct, then his fancy spellwork means nothing." As smart as he was, he needed time to come up with solutions...however little time that might be.
"A fair point." Well, Itachi couldn't say that he was particularly adverse to employing such underhanded methods against Rufus. The man certainly deserved it. But it would reflect badly on Blue Pegasus if he resorted to such measures. Hm…perhaps he could work to capture him in a genjutsu? After all, that mask of his did nothing to protect the eyes, and Itachi could take full advantage of that.
In any case, things were not looking good. Fairy Tail had barely earned themselves a point between their two teams, and Blue Pegasus was trailing with the four points that they'd earned from Eve's participation, out of a possible ten.
A huge gust of wind picks up in the arena, and there's a shrill yelp as Ren's opponent from Mermaid Heel ends up face down in the dirt. Itachi blinks at the sight. "It seems that we'll be ending the day with fourteen points." And out of a possible twenty, that was fairly decent.
Sasuke shakes his head. Well he was glad that they were now performing decently in the rankings. "He'll never let us hear the end of this." He knew Ren. He could crow worse than a rooster sometimes. "But that's good news at least. We didn't do too poorly on the first day."
"We did well, it's true." Fairy Tail, on the other hand, had not. And Itachi would rather not see this overwhelming loss cripple them. Though the expression on Gray's face as he left the arena made him worry. "I suppose that Fairy Tail will now have a chance to earn the points that were denied them in the first battle of the day."
Well, until the first of their match-ups was chosen.
"They will bounce back." Shisui sighs, feeling badly for them as well. "They have nowhere to go, but up." That much was true. "Though perhaps we should also focus on Raven Tail. Sabertooth has skill, much as I'm loathed to admit it." Raven Tail on the other hand, well they got by mostly on dirty tricks. "They're going to make it to the finals. That doesn't have to be the case for PuddingHead though."
"Maybe, but it looks like the problems are staring sooner instead of later. So I doubt that we would have time for any dirty tricks of our own." Hibiki appears on the balcony with Ren, after having escorted Eve to the infirmary. "Take a look at the next match." He glares down at the arena floor as two female wizards take the field. Lucy Heartfilia, Fairy Tail's sweetheart and Celestial Wizard…and Flare Corona of Raven Tail.
Sasuke's eyes narrow. "Raven Tail." Again? Somehow he doubted Pudding was the only Raven who would be gunning for a Fairy. "I really don't like this." Was it just a coincidence?
"I can't say that I care for it either." This was going to be vicious. "Though I imagine Lucy will be eager for some payback." Though he was having a hard time imagining the blonde going up against the rather psychotic looking red head. "I hope that she gets it." Shisui sincerely did. What happened to Gray hadn't been fair. That much was obvious.
Itachi had a cold feeling racing up his spine. He wasn't entirely sure what was going to go wrong as the two lady wizards began their duel, Flare's hair growing and expanding, and catching on fire, and Lucy summoning her spirits, but he knew that something was going to go terribly wrong. And it was not going to be pretty.
Hibiki, on the other hand, watches the battle that quickly gains momentum with admiring eyes as Lucy summons the likes of Taurus and Scorpio, and both at once. "She's gotten a lot stronger, it seems. She sure couldn't do that before."
"You're right." Though there was something about Flare's movements that struck Shisui as off. "She's doing well." And Flare was getting fed up.
"I've heard of pulling each other's hair in a fight before, but this is crazy." Sasuke shakes his head as he watches Flare actually use her hair as a weapon. "Looks like Lucy might have this one though." He hoped that was the case. Fairy Tail desperately needed the points to improve morale.
Hibiki wasn't surprised to see Cancer coming into the mix to deal with some of those outrageous crimson locks, but he was surprised to see Lucy opening so many zodiac gates either at once, or one right after another. It should have exhausted her quickly, but…well, obviously something had changed.
Something, including the battle as Lucy began dodging the hair coming from the ground frantically, hopping here and there like a little grasshopper. Her boots were burned, her feet lightly so, but her tenacity was admirable as she continued to fight on, equipping herself with a whip that glittered with powerful magic, catching Flare in her grasp just as Flare did the same, and sending the two of them tumbling and rolling across the battlefield, trying to force the other to submit.
Sasuke blinks as the fight now more closely resembled a wrestling match than a magical battle. "They're too evenly matched." This was going to be a battle of endurance, it seemed.
"Something will give." Shisui watches the field with cautious eyes. "Stalemates can't last forever." Sooner or later, someone would gain an edge and use that to their advantage. And that person would be the victor.
As the two fought on, Itachi's eyes narrow at the sight of Flare driving her hair into the ground. The tactic hadn't worked well before, but driving only a single piece wouldn't be of much help in a fight like this. So just what was she planning? A trap? But she'd already done that before. So why…?
Whatever it was, it wasn't good, and Itachi's glare hardens as the next fifteen seconds devolve from a wrestling match, into a brutal beating more befitting of a torture dungeon. Flare strung Lucy up, and for reasons he couldn't fathom, Lucy didn't seem to be fighting back. "Something is very wrong."
"They need to call this match!" Whatever it was, Shisui couldn't baer it. "This isn't a fight. This is barbaric." If Lucy couldn't win, why hadn't she conceded. Was it pride? She wasn't going to get points for Fairy Tail by enduring the beating, so why was she?
Sasuke watches in horror as the friendly blonde was struck again and again. Flare seemed to be getting some sort of sadistic glee from delivering the cruel beating. "It doesn't make sense. They were evenly matched only a moment ago." Their differences in skill couldn't have changed that much and he doubted Lucy's stamina had just disappeared in the blink of an eye. Lucy wasn't even making an attempt to shield herself. "What's going on?!"
Itachi's Sharingan activates, and he finds himself biting his lip as he reads the words on Lucy's lips before her mouth is covered by Flare's hair. "She won't let her give up. Flare is preventing Lucy from withdrawing."
"That explains a lot." Shisui's lips curl in disgust. "This is a grudge match. Why would she prevent an easy win? She's going to get the same amount of points either way." This was about sadism. Plain and simple.
Sasuke feels himself twitch. "What they did to Gray was bad enough." That was just fighting dirty. "But at least it wasn't torture. Why are the judges allowing this?!"
"Because the judges aren't in control of when the match starts or ends. That's up to the referee, and the organizers." Never before had Hibiki so abhorred the ambiguity of the rules of this tournament. "And even they have to abide by the rules that they set down." They were so ambiguous, because wizards could take far more punishment than civilians, and often enough, they were famous for their come from behind wins. That's why the rules prevented a match being ended at the first sign of distress. After all, a wizard could come back from almost anything.
Still, there was clearly something wrong as Lucy continued to take a relentless beating, her body not breaking, as surprising as it was. But her fear escalating as Flare threatens to brand Lucy with a Raven Tail emblem right over her Fairy Tail guild mark.
Even more surprising, was Natsu's voice ringing loud and clear across the arena, and from nowhere near his team's gallery. "YOU'RE IN THE CLEAR LUCY!"
In the clear. That meant that something really HAD gone wrong. Itachi's fists clench, but he remains composed and calm, if seething with anger on the inside. "It seems that the dirty tricks have continued."
"Threatening her emblem like that was unforgivable." Sasuke hisses in revulsion. Forget about facing Gray, Flare was the one who deserved the the beating. "Though it looks like Natsu did...something." Maybe, the tide of the match was about to change.
Shisui nods in agreement. It did appear that way. "Yes, he sounds rather confident." Though what the pink haired Dragon Slayer had done, he wasn't certain. Obviously, Flare had used some sort of dirty trick to keep Lucy from fighting back, but he couldn't figure out what for the life of him. "And those rules need to be revisited. This is a competition, not a war." He couldn't keep his contempt for the organizers out of his voice upon hearing that little gem.
"It's Raven Tail, which means that it IS a war." Ren stares down at the arena, before flicking his eyes over to Lamia Scale, finding similarly disgusted expressions there as well. "From what I hear, they've been gunning for Fairy Tail for a decade, at least."
As Lucy frees herself, Hibiki smiles. "And Fairy Tail knows that if this does blow up, that us and Lamia will have their backs. No questions asked." After all, Fairy Tail had saved their asses during the Nirvana incident, it was only right to keep returning the favor.
Especially if it involved Lucy summoning Gemini as a duplicate of herself, clad only in a towel.
Shisui blinks at that. "I know that the women of this place aren't bashful about displaying their lovely feminine charms, but that is a new one." He couldn't remember anyone fighting in a towel before. It did flatter her though.
"..." Sasuke was speechless. "Maybe, it's some sort of distraction technique?"
After gawking for a few moments, Hibiki's eyes widen at the patterns of the swirling magic. "Now when did she master THAT?"
Itachi raises an eyebrow at the sight, glancing at Hibiki. "I presume that you're referring to whatever spell she is planning to cast with the help of that copy of herself?"
The Archive wizard nods. "That's Gemini, one of her Celestial Spirits. It can turn into anyone who has equal or less magic power than she does." And it was genius, pure genius. "She's using them to boost her own magic power to cast Hyper Magic." Proven, by the dazzling show of lights that was beginning to expand across the arena, bathing everything in the glow of beautifully luminescent planets and stars.
It was very pretty, Sasuke decides. "Lets hope that it works." He watches the display equally mesmerized as Shisui.
But as soon as it had begun, it was over, the lights snuffed out as quickly as they had come into existence, the level of magic power in the arena dropping to nothing. And Lucy fell to the ground, exhaustion and shock on her face as the crowd began to boo her, just as they had done for Gray.
Hibiki's eyes narrow, uncommon to the playboy antics he usually showed. "Something…or someone drained her magic." It dropped far too quickly for the spell to fail otherwise.
Sasuke was seriously beginning to wonder just how stupid this audience was. "They actually think her spell just gave out?" Idiots. He sighs as he watches Lucy with the same worried eyes that Shisui was.
"Looks like." Ren glares at the audience, not at all pleased with their behavior. He much preferred their clients. At least sometimes they got people who weren't dumb as doornails.
As the match is called, Itachi takes note of where Flare's eyes wander. "I suspect that it was one of her teammates who is the culprit for this impossible turn of events." Because based on the magic power he'd felt from the spell, it shouldn't have failed like that. It should have been utterly devastating, more than enough to win Lucy the match.
"Maybe that's why Lucy stopped fighting suddenly." Shisui's eyes follow Itachi's. "There was a threat of a power suck and Natsu only thought they had it handled?" Sasuke frowns and nods in agreement.
"No, if that was it, then she would have just resorted to her whip." Hibiki didn't think it was nearly so simple.
"I agree." Fairy Tail was famous for their tenacity, and they certainly proved that today, even if they weren't earning points. But Itachi also suspected that there was far more going on. For example…why had Natsu left the gallery and gone into the stands? "If it was a threat to Lucy herself, it would have been easier to remain in the gallery, wouldn't it?"
Shisui goes silent for a moment as he considers it. "Yes, it would have." So perhaps, it hadn't been the blonde who had been threatened, after all.
"She had a backup for a power suck and she didn't use it." Sasuke frowns at that piece of information. "There has to be a reason why she didn't."
"No…she looked shocked, as though she didn't expect the spell to fail." Itachi's eyes stay fixed on the Raven as she hurries from the field. "I believe that another member of Raven Tail acted without her knowledge when her first plan failed."
"That would make sense." But Hibiki still didn't like this. "I'll look into it. I've been taking readings ever since the first competition started. I should have enough data by the end of the battles to make a proper analysis."
Readings might be helpful, they might at least tell them what the hell was going on here. "Thank you, Hibiki." Shisui knew that short of beating the answers out of Raven Tail, it was their best shot of figuring out what really happened. "Do you think Fairy Tail even realizes why Lucy's spell failed?" Obviously, they weren't going to get answers out of Raven Tail. "She was stunned, but the Fairies might have figured it out by now."
"Probably, I suppose the fastest way to find out would be to ask them." There was just one problem that Hibiki could see. "But that'll have to wait, their next match is starting." And this time, it was one of their S-Class, going up against a Wizard Saint. But at least this time, there wouldn't be any foul play. Not from Lamia Scale, anyway.
One point between both their teams at the end of the first day. They were losing rather spectacularly thanks to a bad combination of talented opponents, and Raven Tail's foul play. And…some interference from Crime Sorciere when their own Wizard Saint had decided to do something foolish. Today was just not their day. But, as Natsu had said, they could only go up from here, and their plans were to take the games by storm with the most epic comeback in Fairy Tail history.
At least…that was the plan. Though Erza wasn't entirely sure how well that would go over. Morale was dangerously low, though recovering, thanks to Natsu's antics. They were also on the warpath, after what Raven Tail did to Lucy and Wendy. And they couldn't PROVE it, which meant that they couldn't get Raven Tail disqualified or banned from the games. Not that she expected any less of a dark guild. Whatever their legal status was, it didn't change the fact that Raven Tail was no Light Guild.
Still, it was good to unwind at the end of a very stressful day. Though Cana was taking that approach rather liberally as Erza watcher her down yet another barrel of alcohol. It was rather incredible how much that woman could drink without falling over. Or without dying. Or exploding from having too much liquid in her body. There must have been some kind of black hole in her stomach, which perhaps explained her tolerance, similar to Natsu's stomach for food.
Sighing, the Queen of the Fairies turns to her cake, and her friend. After all, there was no wrong time for cake. "It seems that we have our work cut out for us." And luckily, away from home, Mira didn't have to work the bar, leaving her free to both compete and socialize.
"That's true." Mira nods her head in acknowledgment. "Still, we'll manage." After all, they had survived a dragon attack on Tenrou Island. "Once we figure out what to do about Raven Tail and get our momentum, I imagine we'll catch up quickly." She smiles at her, proving why she was a model. That smile was infectious. "You'll see!"
"Yes…Raven Tail…" That was their biggest problem, apart from Sabertooth. But what to do about them, Erza didn't know. And Wendy was still recovering from being attacked, Lucy was banged up, but otherwise alright, and Gray was…sulking a little, but otherwise engaging in Natsu's antics for the evening. "They're targeting us, hitting us one at a time, trying to crush us before we have a chance to build up momentum." And if they weren't careful, it might just work.
"I'm more worried about Gray and Natsu doing something reckless like trying to confront them out of the arena than anything else." Mira sighs and winces as she imagines how that would go down. "And getting us disqualified."
"It's possible, but I don't think they'd actually do it." Cana chugs down another mug of God only knows what kind of alcohol. "They'd want to beat Raven Tail where everyone could see them."
"I agree." Erza could certainly see the two of them throwing down with Raven Tail right in the middle of the arena, battle or no battle. "Natsu especially enjoys putting on a show." Their pink-haired dragon slayer loved getting attention, which was the entire reason for his challenging the S-Class wizards all the time. "But Gray can be prone to peacocking as well, especially if Natsu's involved." Those two had so much tension that you wouldn't be able to hack through it, eve with an axe.
"We should just get them both drunk and lock them in a room." Cana nods as if this was the answer to well everything. "Let them peacock with each other until its time for the matches." It would be a lot easier than waiting for one of them to make a move.
Mira laughs and shakes her head at that suggestion. "They'd just blow up the room." Which was true. A Dragon Slayer and someone's with Gray's abilities would definitely destroy the room before any real progress was made.
"True." Erza could imagine the chaos that would ensue if those two got locked in a room together. "Maybe if we tied one of them up…then put them in a room together?"
Mira gins at that. "Hmm. That might work, if we gag Natsu though." Otherwise he might just burn the rope.
"Better to tie up Gray." Lucy walks over, smirking at the conversation. "Sorry, I overheard, and whatever you're planning, I want in. But if you think that Natsu isn't going to burn through ropes, wherever you tie them, you're crazy." She grins a little wider. "We've tied up Gray before, though. That's doable."
"She makes us sound so sinister." Cana laughs as she takes another gulp of her drink. "Though that's true. It'd be difficult to tie up Natsu."
"Indeed it would." Gray, on the other hand, was another matter entirely. Though Erza was confident that they could come up with some sort of plan soon enough. Perhaps even by the end of the games. Mira wasn't the only Fairy who could engage in some matchmaking.
Mira nods as she smiles mischievously at them. "Well speaking of tying people up, the Blue Pegasus Boys really grew up! All of them." After all, Eve might look much younger than he was, but he was twenty-three, and at eighteen, Sasuke was the youngest of the lot.
"Yeah…they sure did!" Lucy beams brightly. "They all got so big and tall. It's hard to believe that they all used to be so much smaller!"
"Yes…it's quite hard to believe." After all, the youngest of them used to be Wendy's age. It was a rather astonishing transformation, in Erza's eyes. "But exactly why would that merit tying them up?" And eyebrow rises as the question is asked.
Cana and Mira both give her a rather incredulous look. Though it was Mira who got over her disbelief first. "You seriously have to ask me that?" She laughs at her friend and smiles teasingly. "You're the one who likes the naughty books most. They are pretty cute." Cana nods as she pours herself another glass.
Oh boy, so that was their game… Erza shakes her head, snorting softly. "And just which of them has caught your interest, Mira?" It was hard to tell, after all, there were many attractive young men in Blue Pegasus, and Mira might be the guild gossip, but she could keep her cards close if she was inclined to.
"Oh I was talking in general." Mira laughs softly. It would be almost impossible to choose. "They're all so cute. It's hard to pick just one. Besides, this is just for fun." She winks at her friend. "I wasn't actually planning on doing it."
Cana laughs as she knocks another shot back, making the white haired beauty grow more than a little concerned. "I have no problem picking though. If one of them sticks out more than the others." Alcohol could make a person rather bold sometimes. "I didn't get that new blue bikini for nothing."
"Jeez, Cana, are you planning on sleeping your way through Blue Pegasus?" Lucy could barely hold in her own laughter. "Because at the rate you're drinking, it might just happen!" And considering what flirts they could be, and how…inviting they were, she doubted that they would protest someone as pretty as Cana coming on to them.
"Nah." She shakes her head. "If you find a good stallion, you only need one." The brunette laughs at her own pun. A clear sign she was probably highly intoxicated.
Mira shakes her head in amusement. "Well just as long as no one touches Gray, I think we're all safe." Juvia scared even Mira. "Remember what happened to Lucy that one time!" Juvia was a very nice girl until she suspected someone else had a thing for the ice wizard.
Lucy shivers at the memory. "Don't remind me. I NEVER want to go through that again." Though that did beg a different question. "What do you think would happen to Juvia if she attacked Natsu for 'touching' Gray?"
"Nothing good." Erza knew Natsu's temper and competitive spirit well. And when water hit a raging hot fire, you got a lot of steam, and no weakening of the fire. "I'm sure that there will be a need to break up quite the incident if that were to occur."
Cana gulps at the thought. "I think I would need quite a few more shots to be able to deal with that." It was just too terrifying to contemplate.
Mira nods at that. "Speaking of shots, this is the first time Itachi and Sasuke are competing. If it was Shisui, we could look up what he did in the past." The model sighs. "Though I doubt they're going to be anywhere near as sadistic as Raven Tail or as cutthroat as Sabertooth."
"That's true…" And Erza hadn't personally seen very much of their abilities, beyond their hand to hand combat. And even then, that was many years ago. "Though I do look forward to seeing what they're both capable of. I'm sure that they've improved greatly."
"Suppose if worst comes to worse, Erza could just flash them some of the armor from her 'special collection' and that would be that." Cana laughs. She could just imagine the look on the faces of the crowd. "Lucy's towel seemed to get their attention well enough."
Lucy flushes bright red. "That was only because I summoned Gemini right after a shower! I didn't mean to…" To nearly flash the entire crowd the assets she was so proud of.
Well, Lucy's embarrassment aside, that was certainly an interesting idea. Erza smirks at the thought of subduing one of them that way. "I believe that I have several pieces that would do the job. Though I believe that I will leave the towel to Lucy."
"I told you, that was Gemini!" Not that it mattered, because when copying her, Gemini put all of Lucy's body on display, right down to the freckles and birthmarks.
Mira nods at Lucy sympathetically. "We know. I'm sorry, but it was still funny." That was one way to get the crowd's attention. "Do you think maybe that will improve our reputation with the crowd slightly? She tilts her head thoughtfully.
"Not likely…" The red fades from Lucy's cheeks. "If it was that easy, they wouldn't have…" They wouldn't have booed her so much, wouldn't have thrown things at her, hurled insults, kicked her when she was down, after she'd failed…
"Lucy…" Erza sighs, placing a hand on Lucy's shoulder. "You did us proud. It's not your fault that Raven Tail broke the rules."
Cana sighs and hugs Lucy. "Cheer up. You'll get the psychotic tomato later." She smiles at her reassuringly. "The competition has only just started."
"Yeah, we'll get them." Lucy nods, pumping her fists in the air, a gesture very reminiscent of Natsu. "Just you wait and see. We'll beat Raven Tail, Sabertooth, and we're gonna take first place this year!"
"That's the spirit." Mira smiles at her friend. "Well I guess all we can do is get some rest and prepare for day two!"
"That's right." Polishing off her cake, Erza smiles out at the rest of their guild, half of them passed out around the bar, the other half either nodding off, or trying to start a drunken ruckus. Despite their failure today, they weren't going to give up, and they could only go up from here.
