after the last 4 days of the training camp, we turn our attention to Crocus, the capital city of Fiore where the GMG is being held.
The participating team that consists of Erza, Gray, Lucy, Wendy, and Juvia are by the street, all of them looking tired and extremely sore.
"Man, I feel like crap." Groaned Gray while rolling his shoulders around.
"the Second Origin Training is very taxing and Juvia can feel her body still sore after it" said Juvia while rubbing her shoulders.
"I thought we were doing fine a couple of days ago." Added Lucy while looking tired. "my joins hurt so much after that training"
"don't whine, we need to win the games" Erza told the group while looking perfectly fine.
"how is Erza still alright?" Lucy said with a sweat drop
"she must've already awakened her Second Origin from the start" Gray told her with a sweatdrop as Lucy nodded from how it makes sense.
"this is a very big city" said Lucy, seeing the sight of the Fiore main capital city. "it might be even larger than Edolas or even Lingyue Emperor island's city"
"Well this is the capital of the kingdom." Erza said. "It only makes sense that it would be the biggest city."
"It certainly is an overwhelming sight." Charla commented.
"I see you all made it!" A voice called from a distance. The group looked over and saw Master Makarov, Jet, Droy, Levy, Alzack, Bisca, and Asuka walking towards them.
"Master." Erza said in slight disbelief.
"let's get on with the event already!" said Makarov with a laugh. "let's show them what Fairy Tail is made of!"
The conversation of the group got the attention of the people of Crocus where some laughs a bit.
"Did that old man just say Fairy Tail?" "that number 4 guid entering the GMG when they always got last place when they enter?" "their guild has that famous Salamander who never joins, must be hard to have such a guild member like him"
This got the group riled up to hear the people mocking Natsu who has done nothing but protect their guild and their family.
"what did you say?!" shouted Gray before Juvia grabs his hands to stop him from going to beat the sense on the people.
"Gray-sama! Don't!" said Juvia to him
"let them be, Gray." Erza told Gray while feeling the same anger to the people who would mocked their friend.
"but they just!" said Gray, not liking the idea of people back talking Natsu as the salmon haired mage needed to be given respect for what he did upon Lingyue.
"let them laugh as much as they want. I know Natsu wouldn't even care" said Makarov to Gray before glancing at the people. "they'll be speechless when we blow their minds away on the games."
Gray thought about Makarov's words before he nodded and decided to calm down.
"you ready? 30,000,000 jewels…I mean give everything that you all have as to aim for number one!" said Makarov to the group while pointing a finger to the sky. "give it all so that we can face our first master Mavis who saved our lives!"
the group nodded as they are determined to get Fairy Tail to be the number one guild again.
"The matches will begin tomorrow, I'm afraid to say that we don't know anything about the rules" stated Makarov.
"They change from year to year." Alzack said, Asuka ran up to him with a hug. "So there's really no way of knowing what's going to happen."
"I tried to look up the records from the past games but there wasn't any set pattern, or rules for that matter." Added Levy.
"guess that means we got to wring it" said Gray while crossing his arms.
Erza was lost in her thoughts as she remembered a private conversation she had with Jellal about a mysterious presence during the GMG. Before a second passed, Makarov handed Erza a book.
"Here's the rule book for the games Erza, I want you to have it read by tomorrow." Said Makarov to Erza in a nonchalant voice.
"What?" said Erza while her eyes widen to the book that is very thick. "You want me to read it?"
"Don't worry I'll handle it." Levy smiled, taking the book. She put on her reading glasses and began quickly flipping through the pages. "Seems pretty straight forward so far." She said still reading. "No guild masters may participate." She read aloud.
"no wonder Natsu never participate in it" said Makarov while scratching his moustache.
"Any person without a guild mark is forbidden to enter." Levy continued.
"that would be so obvious" said Gray, thinking of how the rules are too obvious.
"The type of competition and goals are kept a secret and the rules are not revealed until just before the competition itself." Added Levy
"That's a bit weird." Lucy said. Wendy nodding in agreement.
"It looks like there's a warning at the end too." Stated Levy as this got everyone's attention.
"What does it say?" asked Erza.
"All participants must be in their reserved inns by midnight." Levy answered.
"Midnight?" Gray said. He and the others looked at the huge clock in the middle of the square.
"Midnight tonight?" Lucy asked.
"kinda like the Cinderella story, huh?" added Charla, knowing how the story of the glass slipper princess.
"Well it's only 1 'o clock now." Said Jet
"we got lots of time to kill then!" said Lucy with a smile. "let's go shopping and sightseeing!"
"I suppose so" said Erza while cupping her chin "I'll head towards the inn and take a look at the room."
"I'll go check out some of the shops." Gray said. "Maybe some of the people here have an idea what to expect in the games."
"Juvia will follow Gray-sama!" said Juvia with a happy look.
"I wanna go look at some of the landmarks." Said Wendy with an exciting look.
"remember that we have a deadline to come back to the inn, alright?" said Erza as the others nodded before everyone went their ways around the city.
The hours passes as the sky turned orange for the sun is setting soon.
By the shopping street, Gray with Juvia were walking by as they had just went around asking people about the GMG.
"no one knows anything about the games" said Gray while having a sceptic look.
"seems that the GMG committees are keeping the information about the event a tight secret" added Juvia as they got no information whatsoever.
"this GMG is kinda making me more curious by the second" said Gray before his stomach suddenly growled and told the man to get some food for it. "man, all that thinking must've made my stomach hungry"
"t-then! Let's go to a restaurant nearby, Gray-sama!" said Juvia, imagining herself with Gray having a romantic dinner together that makes her all red and dreamy.
"Yeah, sure." Replied Gray while rubbing his stomach. "I guess any restaurant's meal can fill my stomach is good"
"yay!" cheered Juvia before she felt herself getting carried in someone's arms. "eh?"
"come now, Juvia! To our dinner!" said a voice as Juvia is getting carried away by Lyon who appeared out of nowhere.
"Lyon-sama!?" "where did you come from?!" exclaimed Juvia and Gray to the Lamia Scale's Ice Maker wizard.
After the whole little commotion, Lyon, Gray, and Juvia started to converse with one another.
"I hear your guild entering the games this year, Gray." Said Lyon with a smile
"Yeah? What's it to you?" Gray replied.
"You know, Lamia Scale will be the winners this year." Lyon proclaimed with a cocky smirk.
"How ya figure?" replied Gray while having a smirk of his own.
"Up until now Jura and I never entered, and our guild still placed second." Lyon boasted as he and Gray pushed their foreheads against one another.
"Then it looks like it'll be the same result this year." Gray retorted. "Because Fairy Tail is winning the games."
"Oh yeah?" Lyon challenged.
"Yeah." Gray returned.
"Let's make a wager then." Lyon declared, stepping back and holding out his arm.
"A bet?" Gray asked with a raised eyebrow.
"If Lamia Scale wins the Grand Magic Games, Juvia will join our guild." Said Lyon with a blush
"What?!" Juvia squealed.
"Well…what if we win?" asked Gray
"Juvia will join Fairy Tail." Lyon said simply.
"She's already apart of Fairy Tail!" Gray argued.
"This is promise between men, Gray." Lyon pointed at him. "You can't back out."
"I didn't even accept it, you idiot!" Gray retorted.
"Are you afraid to lose?" Lyon inquired.
"What did you say?" said Gray with a tick mark on his forehead.
"Gray-sama!" Juvia shouted, forcing herself in the middle of him and Lyon. "You can't have us all! Do you choose me, or Lyon-sama?! Please make up your mind!"
"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about." Gray said deadpan.
As the sun began to set, Wendy and Charla are at one of the landmarks in their guide book which is the Mercurius; the palace of the king of Fiore. The pair looked on in awe as they stood in the palace's vast garden.
"I wonder what the king is like." Wendy thought out loud
"Maybe he has a beard." Said Charla.
The two continued to happily converse on their ideas of the king's appearance, unaware of the mysterious black creature watching over them from the tower's peak.
Meanwhile at another street, Lucy is walking around as she sees so many flowers in line.
"no wonder they call it the flower blooming capital" said Lucy with a smile.
"ah! it's Lucy-neechan!" exclaimed two voices as Lucy hears the voices before she felt two bumps behind her legs.
Nearly falling forward, Lucy quickly balanced herself and turns to see Haruka with Haruo behind.
"Haruka-chan!? Haruo-chan!?" said Lucy in surprise to see the twins. Haruka and Haruo grins while on their forehead are flower rings.
"my my, and I believed that we would meet during the start of the festival" said a voice as Lucy turns to see Ikaruga coming into view, the twins' mother carrying Ikki in her arms as the youngest child is looking at Lucy while sucking on his pacifier, and Kiara is riding on Ikaruga's left shoulder.
"Ikaruga-san!" said Lucy before the group started to converse with one another.
Lucy with Ikaruga now walked upon the city's street while Haruka with Haruo were running in front, both playing a tag game.
"where's Natsu? He didn't come with you?" asked Lucy to Ikaruga.
"he is meeting….'a friend' so to say" replied Ikaruga as Lucy raised an eyebrow before hearing a loud racket in front. The two turns and sees a big crowd in front as there seems to be a fight commotion.
"a fight?" said Lucy before seeing a man flying out of the crowd's circle and crashed to the street nearby, nearly crashing to Haruka and Haruo who had run away in time.
"had enough?" said a voice as Lucy with Ikaruga and the twins turns to see a blonde teenager and a black hair teenager coming out of the crowd followed by two cats who are Exceeds like Charla and Lily.
"Aren't those guys from Sabertooth?" "Sting and Rogue!" "the two strongest mages of the strongest guild?!" the crowd chattered around.
"Sabertooth? As in them?" said Lucy as Sting with Rogue heard her and they turn to look at Lucy with the others.
"isn't she?" said Rogue while looking at Sting who rubs his chin before snapping his fingers once.
"yeah! Lucy Heartfillia, right?" said Sting before glancing at Ikaruga who holds Ikki closer in her arms. "and she's Natsu Daimou's wife"
"what do you two want?" said Lucy while getting in front of Ikaruga.
"to think that the rumours of the guild that only got famous thanks to someone's fame is actually participating" said Sting with a smirk before leaning near Lucy's face. "yeah, I'm talking about your cowardly Dragon Slayer friend"
"don't talk bad about our Papa!" exclaimed Haruka as Haruo nodded in agreement. Sting turns to look at the twins before he chuckled and closed his eyes for a second then opens them.
"oh yeah" said Sting before turning to the twins. "I remembered that the guy has three kids or something" Sting kneels to the twins' height and looks at them with a cold sneering gaze. "guess they grew up with a dad who isn't even a real Dragon Slayer"
"get away from them" said Lucy as she got in between, making Sting stand up and took a few steps from them. "what do you mean not a real Dragon Slayer?"
"Acnologia" said Sting, pronouncing the name of the Dragon of Chaos with a smug smirk. "what good is a Dragon Slayer who couldn't even slay a Dragon?"
"are you implying that you could?" said Lucy, not liking the memories of the dreaded monsters flooding back in her mind.
"we can, cause we're Dragon Slayers" said Sting while pointing his thumb at his chest. "well…True Dragon Slayers, that is"
"we would've been able to defeat Acnologia unlike Natsu Daimou" stated Rogue.
"you're just saying that because you haven't seen Acnologia in the first place!" said Lucy, knowing firsthand the terror that Acnologia brought upon Tenroujima 7 years ago.
"it doesn't matter if we seen it or not" said Rogue. "there is a is a big difference between our strengths after all"
"what do you mean?" asked Ikaruga, not liking anymore bad words about her husband.
"let me explain things" said Lector, chiming in. "Natsu-kun, Wendy-kun, and Gajeel-kun learned magic from the dragons that raised them, making them the First Generation Dragon Slayers. While Cobra-kun from Oracion Seis and Laxus-kun had Lacrimas put in their bodies that gave them their Dragon Slayer abilities. They're Second Generation Dragon Slayers. Finally for Sting-kun and Rogue-kun, Both learned from Dragons and had Dragon Slaying magic lacrimas put in their bodies making them Third Generation Dragon Slayers, the strongest generation!"
"you were raised by dragons like Natsu and the others?!" said Lucy with a bit of a surprised face. "does that mean that your dragons disappeared on the year X777 like theirs?"
"That's one way to put it." Replied Sting "but it's nothing like that"
"what do you mean?" said Ikaruga with keened eyes.
"We killed the dragons that raised us, with our bare hands." Rogue explained as Sting smiled sadistically. "We did it to become true dragon slayers."
"You…killed them?" Lucy gasped with widened eyes, her mind baffled of the idea that powerful creatures like Acnologia were killed. "But they were your parents! they raised you!"
"It's only natural for a dragon slayer to kill a dragon." Stated Sting with a smirk.
a few moments later, Ikaruga with her children had met up with Natsu who found them by a fountain.
"they said bad things about you, Papa!" said Haruka while puffing her cheeks.
"is that so?" said Natsu, hearing from his children about the encounter with the Twin Dragons of Sabertooth.
"yeah! They said that Papa is a coward and stuff!" added Haruo, not liking Sting and Rogue for badmouthing their father.
"I see" replied Natsu before he glanced at Ikki in his wife's arms, the young boy is dozing off to sleep as he snuggles closer to his mother's warm embrace. Natsu smiled as he petted his head and caresses his cheeks while Kiara is on Ikaruga's lap.
"are you not mad of them?" asked Ikaruga to Natsu as she patted Ikki's back. "they had said that you never participated upon the games because you were afraid of them"
"afraid or not, I only care of our family" said Natsu as he gently rubs his hand on Ikki's forehead. "anything else doesn't matter"
"I see" said Ikaruga with a small smile before Natsu turns to look at the clock as it is nearly midnight.
"come on" said Natsu as Kiara jumped to his shoulders while he helps Ikaruga stand up. "it's time to go to sleep"
"but Lucy-neechan and the others are going to start the games soon, right?" asked Haruka as Natsu nodded.
"then let's stay and watch them!" said Haruo, wanting to see how games start this year.
"in time" said Natsu while patting their heads. "it's already time for you to sleep, or it's a day of timeout for you two"
"okay" said Haruka and Haruo in a depressed tone as they hanged their heads before the family went to a different inn where they are staying for the GMG's event for 7 whole days.
Meanwhile with Erza and the others at Honeybone inn. The Scarlet knight sitting on the bed with her arms and legs crossed while looking down at Lucy, Gray, and Juvia who had just arrived at the inn.
"Explain yourselves." Stated Erza in a commanding tone. "Why were you all late?"
"me and Juvia were eating dinner, or at least tried to." Replied Gray, not wanting to explain the whole meeting with Lyon and the wager thing.
Erza looks at Gray before to Lucy who explains on coincidentally meeting Ikaruga and her kids before the twin Dragon Slayers of Sabertooth.
"Sabertooth has dragon slayers as well?" Erza asked a bit surprised.
"I think that's how their guild got to number one spot" Lucy added in her explanation.
"by the way.." said Juvia while looking around the room. "has Wendy and Charla not come back yet?"
"now that you mention it" said Gray as he and Lucy sees that the Sky Dragon Slayer and her White Exceed partner haven't arrived yet. "they're not here at all"
"and it's almost midnight" added Erza while looking at a clock. "even with Charla, being outside and both are by themselves is too dangerous"
A moment later, several knockings came from the door and Lisanna with Elfman came in, both siblings carrying snacks and drinks.
"Lisanna! Elfman!" Lucy said with a smile.
"Hey how's it going?" Elfman greeted the group as he and Lisanna came in. "We brought you guys some snacks."
"You need the energy for tomorrow, right?" Lisanna asked with a smile.
"You guys back from the mountains?" asked Gray.
"Yeah, we thought we should get all beefed up for the games, but we weren't even picked." Said Elfman as he sulked while setting cola down on the floor. "Man this sucks, I wanted to show Lisanna and neechan how much more manly I got."
"on your way, did you happen to see Wendy and Charla?" asked Erza to Lisanna.
"no" replied Lisanna with a slightly confused face. "what's wrong?"
"we can't find her; we think that she and Charla might be lost in the city" Lucy told her.
"And we can't go look for her because we have to be here at the inn by midnight." Gray chimed in.
"What's supposed to happen at midnight anyway?" asked Elfman as Gray shrugs his shoulders.
"I don't know." Replied Gray with a clueless look. "But the rules say we gotta be here, so I guess we'll find out soon."
The clock struck twelve and a loud gong began echoing throughout the entire city.
"ah, it's already midnight" said Lucy in seeing the clock in the room as the two arrows strikes at number 12.
The gong continued ringing throughout the Crocus streets and a flash of light soon appeared. Once it had dimmed down, a hologram of a little man wearing a pumpkin like mask
"Good Morning to all participants in this year's Grand Magic Games!" the pumpkin creature said as it smiles
"the heck is that thing?!" Gray exclaimed as everyone looks out the window.
"We will now begin widowing down the 113 teams assembled to 8 with our Preliminary Competition!" said the pumpkin looking man.
"Preliminary Competition?" said Erza as everyone looks upon the hologram.
'113?' Lucy thought with a slightly surprised look. "there's that many guild in Fiore?'
'that many guilds upon the preliminary event. This seems awfully sceptical' thought Erza while furring her eyebrows. 'Crime Sorcieres' warning about the mysterious magic, this seems very suspicious'
"Due to the constant addition of guilds to the games each year," the pumpkin mascot said "We have trouble incorporating events that will allow each team to shine. So, this year only 8 teams will be allowed to participate in the games. And this will be how those 8 teams will be determined."
The pumpkin creature pointed into the air and the Honey Bone Inn began rising.
"What's…going…on?!" Lucy asked in a squeal.
"The inn's rising!" Gray looked down and sees mechanical poles was pushing the inn, they were in upwards.
"Look!" Lisanna pointed into the city. "The other inns are rising too."
Everyone looks outside and sees many more inns rising to the sky.
"Looks like some sort of pathway." Gray observed.
"Yes, but to where?" Erza inquired.
"Your goal is to reach the stadium, Domus Flau! You are allowed to use whatever magic at your disposal to reach the stadium, nothing is off limits; but all five members of your team must be present upon reaching the stadium or you will all be disqualified." The pumpkin creature explained as this means bad news for Erza and the others as they are missing one member. The pumpkin creature soon continued "One more thing…Should you die inside the labyrinth, the Games organizers are not held accountable."
"labyrinth?" said Lucy with a confused look. "what labyrinth?"
"um…I think it means that thing" said Juvia while pointing to the sky as everyone looks up and their eyes widen to see a large metal rods and floors filled sphere floating in the sky.
"Let the preliminary round of the Grand Magic Games, Sky Labyrinth, begin!" The pumpkin creature declared before disappearing.
"We have to go through that to reach the stadium?!" Lucy asked as she was a bit intimidated to the sight of the giant metallic sphere.
"Well if it's a race we better get a move on." Gray declared as he was about to go and stepped on the bridge but Erza stopped him.
"wait!" exclaimed Erza. "without Wendy, we will be disqualified when we step on it"
"where could she be?!" Lucy chimed in as she was worried for her
"if Wendy's not here, then you got a man!" said Elfman before he grabbed Erza, Lucy, Gray, and Juvia in his arms before running up the staircase of Sky Labyrinth. "switching members!"
"eeeeh!?" said Erza and the others.
"Elf-niichan!" exclaimed Lisanna in seeing her big brother running up the stairway
"looks like we got no choice" said Gray as Elfman brought them halfway through the stairway. "got to sub Wendy with Elfman then!"
"leave it to me!" exclaimed Elfman.
"Lisanna!" Erza called out to the white haired woman. "go look for Wendy and Charla with help of Master and the others! We're counting on you!"
"you got it!" replied Lisanna while giving a thumbs up before she walked out of the room and heads down to get the other guild members' help to find Wendy and Charla.
Elfman puts down Erza and the others as the group continued running.
"there's the labyrinth's Entrance!" exclaimed Juvia, seeing the end of the stairway.
"more like the Entrance for the top guild of all Fiore!" said Gray with a grin.
"Let's Go!" said Erza as everyone roared in unison.
By an inn, Natsu looks at the large Sky Labyrinth before he glanced behind him. Ikaruga and their children were all fast asleep on their beds while he is still awake. He looks at them sleep so peacefully before he disappeared and then reappeared on the inn's roof where four shadowed figures were standing by.
"let's go" said Natsu as his eyes glows red for a second.
That's a wrap!
Bye bye