Ara made it back to the tavern and Inn. She stopped by the team's room to see if Zip was there since she had not seen him since earlier.

When she walked into the room she noticed Lucy, Natsu, Gray, Erza, Lisanna, Elfman, and Happy. No Zip, he must have still been with Levy. The group turned with expectant eyes and when they saw her she knew she wasn't who they thought it would be.

"Ara. Did you just get back? We are waiting for Wendy and Carla but they haven't arrived yet. And it's almost midnight." Erza explained, standing by the window with her arms crossed.

"I haven't seen them since we parted earlier. They weren't down at the bar either."

"Not good. A young girl and cat out late at night, they could be doing delinquent things." Lucy looked anxiously, Ara sure she was imagining some strange tale.

"Okay we know you're a writer Lucy but this isn't one of your books." Gray deadpanned from behind her.

"I say we go out and look for them." Natsu smacked his fist into his palm creating a bit of fire.

"Aye!" Happy agreed.

"Too late, it's almost midnight."

They all looked at the clock.

Ara bit her lip. "I was looking for Zip. He went with Levy and I haven't seen him since."

"Maybe he is with Wendy and Carla."

Suddenly there was a dong. The clock. Midnight. "Look outside!" Lisanna pointed.

In the sky was a projected pumpkin head man. He went on a spiel about how the games have grown boring and how they were making a preliminary round to make things more interesting. Then the ground started to shake and rise. "All the other Inns are rising too." Gray pointed out.

Ara and the others moved onto the balcony, where Ara saw it. A sky labyrinth.

"We'll let's go, we can't wait here for Wendy." Lucy grabbed Ara's hand.

"Wait what!" She protested. "I mean I guess but Master didn't choose me —"

"It's fine Ara, Wendy would want us to keep going." Natsu grinned running faster up to the labyrinth.

"Lisanna and Happy will look for Wendy and Carla, and see if Zip is with them so let's focus on winning," Erza said.

The labyrinth was confusing and very topsy-turvy. "How are we supposed to find our way around here." Ara looked around, a headache already forming.

"The real question is why I don't feel sick," Natsu said thoughtfully, touching his stomach.

"A special spell was put on the labyrinth for those with a fear of heights or motion sickness to be free from such symptoms." The pumpkin head's voice boomed with a gleeful chuckle.

"That explains that." Lucy nodded, "We should start moving."

"Yes, when we were in the ground the coliseum was to the east, we should've had it that way," Erza stated.

"I can help with that. Open gate of the compass Pyxis."

Magic burst from her key as the celestial spirit formed before them. "Pyxis we could use your hand which way is East?"

The celestial spirit used its abilities before pointing in that direction. This all would have been amazing had Erza, not a second layer stated she already knew this because she brought a regular compass. This of course made the wizard and spirit depressed.

They didn't have time for that though and soon began to run their way up the stair path to the east.

"I wonder how far east we can go until we run out of normal stairs or platforms," Ara commented, she was sure that it couldn't be as simple as just going in the direction of a compass.

"Ya, with the way this place is laid out, I don't think we will be able to go straight east." Lucy agreed.

"Let alone know which way is up." Gray looked to the sky.

"We should make a map to make sure we know where we have been," Erza commented.

They eventually found a door with a spiraling tunnel. Once on the other side Natsu almost fell head-first into the city off the ledge. Quickly Ara used gravitational magic to push him back the other way. "Thanks, Ara!"

Lucy looked in horror from his side. "You could have died, they weren't kidding about the loss of life."

They kept tracking through the labyrinth, Lucy making a map of the directions and commenting that it was harder to do than originally what was anticipated. Eventually, they came to a halt at a voice. Another arguing guild.

Ara had almost forgotten about the others. "Oh, not them." Gray groaned.

Ara glared at the faces coming into view. Twilight Ogre. The guild that hurt their friends during the seven years. "Awe it's Fairy Tail. And I see your guild is as shottie as ever."

"I'm surprised to see you losers." Gray gritted out.

"Seriously," Ara added.

"A lot of comment from the guild that always comes in last place."

Natsu stepped forward. "We are taking first place this year."

The leader smirked grabbing at his weapon. "We'll see about that."

Lucy looked in shock. "You want to fight us right here?"

"Why not we can use magic without restrictions — don't blame you for being scared."

"I'm fired up now." Natsu laughed.

Erza grabbed her sword. "Fewer the rivals the better our chances."

"Good point."

Natsu and Gray brought forward their ice make and fire magic before jumping at the incoming members. Quickly they knocked two of them where they stood causing them to start faking from the labyrinth. Ara did her part as well, using a black hole to suck up the incoming spell thrown her way while simultaneously using gravitational magic in her kick to knock down two more members. She flipped and used gravity to pull her back safely onto a platform.

Then the ground began to shake and everything titled. "What's happening?" Ara panted.

"I don't like this." Lucy and Natsu said in unison, sharing a look.

"The ground is moving."

"I think the whole maze is rotating," Ara said watching as the arms on the outside of the labyrinth began to move around each other.

"Seriously!" Shouts.

"Nobody warned us about this!" Like this Natsu began to fall and Lucy not far behind with a scream. Ara used gravity magic to hold herself and then grabbed Erza and Gray so they would stay in place. But Natsu and Lucy were moving at a rate she wasn't sure she could get a distinct hit on.

Other guilds started to fall. Taking a chance Ara jumped from the ledge just as it turned and used her gravitational magic to catch Natsu and Lucy until they all three fell onto a platform.

"Thanks, Ara!"

When the ground had settled they grouped up again. "What's this?" Erza picked up a piece of paper from the ground.

"Did those jerks make a map too?"

Erza studied the paper. "It would appear so."

Then Gray, Erza, and Nasu shared a look of mischievous intentions. "Do you know what this means?"

"Time to steal some maps."

Ara looked at Lucy and they both sighed.

Then they started to beat on other guilds. "It's not nice but we have to do what we have to do!" Natsu grinned punching some guys with a fire fist. Ara pouted, thinking that he probably was enjoying this a lot.

After collecting many maps they gave them to Lucy to figure them out. Which she didn't seem too happy about.

Then the labyrinth began to move again, though this time Ara was prepared and used gravity magic to hold them in place. Eventually, Lucy led them to the middle of the labyrinth. A serine area with an upside-down town? Strange.

"I thought it would be easier from here but I was wrong, these maps have to follow," Lucy said laying them on the ground.

"My compass isn't even working." Erza notified looking at it.

Lucy got a gleeful grin and then pulled out her key again, the one for the compass. When brought forward he was reluctant and scared of Ezra's compass but eventually pointed out that east was up.

"One problem, how do we get up there?" Gray asked.

"You sure he's right about that?" Natsu looked skeptical.

"Positive, trust me celestial spirits are way more powerful than a regular compass." Lucy smiled, hands on her hips.

Ara looked up with a thoughtful expression. "But how do we get up there?"

Erza smiled. "Just wait a second."

Then the labyrinth started moving. "We fall?!"

"Not cool!"

They fell from the path and onto the grass of the made-up town. They lay for a moment. "Come on, we have come too far, we are still a race. Let's be the first guild Ik the preliminary round!"

"Let's go!"

Ara and the others got to their feet beginning to run on the bridge that was sounded by water. Ara looked in wonder. A whole ocean? "How did they get that in here?"

"More like why is this road so long."

"Look at the ceiling, the sky has been painted on. Meaning this must lead somewhere." Erza commented

"The goal."

They kept running, Ara could use a drink at this point. Not to mention she needed to get out of here to see if Zip was okay.

Then they came to a door saying goal with the pumpkin head man. He started clapping as they stood before him. "Ara Iris," she panted smiling. "Erza Scarlet, Gray Fullbuster, Lucy Heartfillia, Natsu Dragneel. Congratulations you made it through the preliminaries."

"We did it."

"I knew we would."

"Did we come in first place?"

The pumpkin head looked dully at them. "No, you came in eighth. You barely qualified."

And they all stood shocked together.