Chapter 7
After half a day's and an overnight journey by train, carriage, and walking, the members of Fairy Tail's strongest team, Team Shadowgear, and Juvia all found themselves once again approaching their dilapidated guild hall up in the hills of Magnolia.
"Alright!" Natsu bellowed with all his might. "Home sweet home at last!"
"What the hell's taken you guys so long?! Get moving!" Macao chided the group.
Looking ahead, they could see a large group of most of the guild waiting to greet them.
"Yeah, move it! Put some hustle into your steps like a bunch of real men!" Elfman said in an uproar.
"Wow, Elfman! You really packed on some muscle there, big guy." Natsu said.
Natsu was quite correct, Logan thought. Elfman had been a rarely advanced physical specimen of a man before, but the results of whatever training he'd put himself through had been an increase to his musculature of mammoth proportions.
"The three of us all trained super hard up in the mountains for the last few months." Lishanna said.
"I've got the muscles every real man dreams of." Elfman said.
Vijeeter, who'd come out to join them then said, "Well, I've hit my own milestone over the past three months and now I can finally eat fermented soy beans."
"And I'm proud to announce that I've overcome my once crippling fear of heights." Warren chimed in.
Logan stared at the two of them with clearly derisive eyes.
"How is any of that supposed to help us win the games?" He thought, but was too polite to say.
The green haired cowgirl, Bisca, then joined the conversation.
"My honey-gun and I have got our sharpshooting skills up to an all time high." She bragged while cocking her long-rifle.
"Bam!"
"And I was able to finish reading an entire thirty volume horror novel series." Nab added.
"All you got done was reading?" Macao asked incredulously.
"You could have at least read some books on dieting." Wakaba said.
"My sandstorm is more powerful than its ever been before! I bet I could even beat Natsu if we fought again!" Max boasted.
"Oh yeah?!" Natsu instantly fired back.
"Ah, geez! Why do I suddenly feel like we're carrying the entire guild?!" Gray asked, thinking out loud.
"Good work everyone!" Master Makarov declared as he approached.
"Yeah, well, it sure wasn't easy." Lucy said to herself with a tired laugh.
"It appears that you've all trained very hard to prepare for the Grand Magic Games. Right now, I'd like everybody to join me inside."
Turning around, they all followed the master back into the guild hall. Everyone huddled together closely without crowding each other while Makarov climbed two steps to address them from a better vantage point.
"Listen up, kids. It's time to announce the five who will be representing Fairy Tail in the Grand Magic Games."
A hush fell over the guild members as Makarov cleared his throat to deliberately create tension among the crowd.
"Natsu!" He announced.
"Oh, yeah!"
"Gray!" The master said.
"I'm honored."
"Erza!"
"I won't let you down." She responded.
"Of course. Those three were kind of a shoo-in for the team." Mirajane said.
"Who will get the last two spots?" Lishanna asked.
"We're gonna need a real man to represent our guild!" Elfman half-shouted.
"I don't want Gray to go into battle without me!" Juvia sobbed mentally.
Master Makarov then said, "And the remaining two will be... Lucy and Wendy!"
It took a moment to sink in, but as the realization struck home, the two titular girls gasped out their shock in unison.
Elfman started bawling like a little girl. "Ah, ha ha! How humiliating!"
"Seriously, those two?" Max asked.
"My darling will be locked in mortal combat without me at his side?! I can't bear to think about it!" Juvia railed in her head while swinging herself manically back and forth.
From his place standing by the bar, Logan couldn't help but feel both relieved and somewhat disappointed.
"So, I didn't get picked." He thought to himself. "Guess it only makes sense. I am the new guy, and none of them know what my magic does. Stands to reason the master would go with the more proven elements."
In a panic, Wendy rushed hastily up to Makarov, getting right into the man's face.
"But I'm really not the best fighter, Master! Are you sure about this?! Can't you pick Laxus or Gajeel for the team instead?!"
"We don't really have that option, because neither of them has come back yet."
From behind, Erza placed a reassuring hand on Lucy's shoulder. "We weren't chosen for our individual strength, but our combined strength as a team. So let's make him proud and give it our all."
"Right. Good point." Lucy said.
"Yeah! I'll do my very best!" Wendy enthused, trying to be brave.
Under his breath, the master muttered, "I think we'd have much more of a fighting chance with Laxus and Gajeel on the team, but my hands are tied here."
"We can hear what you're saying, you know!" Natsu and Gray yelled in unison.
With great vigor and passion, Erza then spoke out loudly.
"Alright, team, the Grand Magic Games present the perfect opportunity for us to reclaim the prominence that we once held! Today, Sabertooth is regarded as Fiore's number one guild. Let us take that title. Fairy Tail will be the top guild again!"
Almost everyone cheered happily in agreement.
"Now I've got a fire in my belly!" Natsu shouted.
OOO
Later that day, as the strongest members of Fairy Tail rode into the capital city of Croqus in a procession of carriages, Logan rode right alongside their cart on his magic-cycle.
"Welcome to Croqus, the flower blooming capital." He said to his friends in the carriage.
"Oh yeah, that's right! You've been here lots of times, haven't you, Logan?" Lucy yelled over the passing wind.
"Yeah, you could say that. There's probably no better place to pick up freelance jobs, bounty hunting and otherwise."
Nestled snugly next to a river running through a mountain range, the city of Croqus managed to appear as if it had been carved by the winds of time. Surrounding the city on all sides, giant statues of past kings, famous warriors, and great wizards had been carved from the very mountains themselves, giving the illusion of grand sentries forever standing guard.
"Wow, just look at this place! I never thought there'd be this many flowers. It's so pretty!" Wendy said with gleeful awe.
"I've read all about Croqus!" Lucy said with pride. "There isn't a species of flower in all Fiore which doesn't grow and bloom here. The maintenance of them is a never ending, twenty-four job. I've read they even bring in special wizards to use magic to regulate the temperature of the immediate area for some flowers at different times of the year."
"Man, this place is crowded like hell. I knew it was gonna be jam packed, but this is more than even I was expecting." Gray said.
Passing over a bridge just then, they were granted a temporarily open view of the entire city.
"Oh, look there! That must be the king's castle!" Wendy exclaimed.
"Exactly right, Wendy. That's the royal castle of Fiore, the towering Flower Light Palace: Mercurius." Logan said.
"And look there-" Erza declared, pointing her window on the west side of the carriage. "That stadium atop the mountain must be where the Grand Magic Games will be held."
Directly where she was pointing sat a coliseum on top of a craggy mountain with four tumultuous statues of its own dominating its edifice. The scale of the structure lost nothing of grandeur for its distance.
A groan from the carriage floor pulled all the attention back inside.
"I don't care about the sights, just please, stop the shaking!" Natsu pleaded pitiably.
After another ten minutes, their carriage stopped in the middle of a plaza with a decorative fountain, prompting Natsu to instantly open the door and flop himself out onto solid ground.
"Ugh! Finally." He moaned.
The others of the team all disembarked as well, and Erza went to the back to disconnect the attached cart carrying her seven foot high stack of luggage. Gray and Lucy immediately slumped down, falling back onto their behinds.
"Man, that was one long ride. I never realized how far the capital was from Magnolia." Gray said.
"I know, right?" Whined Lucy. "After the trip back from the beach, I'm totally wiped."
"Chin up! There's no time for whining." Erza told them.
He didn't show it, but Logan couldn't help but feel amused watching his friends in that moment.
Composing himself, Natsu managed to sit up. "I don't think I've ever been in such a humongous city before in my life."
"Aye!" Happy agreed.
"Yeah, me either." Wendy said.
"It certainly puts Edolas' castle city to shame." Carla said approvingly.
"Yeah, it's big, but it's not that hard to find your way around." Logan said.
"Seriously? This place is huge. It must be like a labyrinth." Lucy said.
"Long as you have a good sense of logic, direction, and intuition, it's not really hard to figure out at all. Believe me, I know." He retorted.
Erza smiled at him. "I'd expect nothing less."
"Guess that means Natsu and Happy will be lost in no time." Gray joked.
"Watch it." Natsu growled with growing anger. "I'm not so motion sick I won't make you need a replacement!"
"Oh, so there you kids are!"
The eight of them turned to see Master Makarov with little Asuka Connell riding on his shoulders, with her parents and Team Shadowgear standing behind him.
"Your driver must have taken an unnecessary detour somewhere. We've already finished with the registration process." Makarov chuckled mischievously. "So let's show everyone why Fairy Tail is the number one guild in Fiore."
"Hey, it looks like the Fairy Tail guild is here!" One of the onlooking bystanders announced.
"Those clowns?" Another one asked.
"Well, somebody's got to come in last place, right?"
The group then started to laugh at them.
"Hey, are those jerks laughin' at us?" Natsu asked.
"Easy." Erza advised.
"Come on! You guys finish in last place every year!" The civilian mocked them.
"Everyone knows Sabertooth has taken the top spot." The guy's friend added.
Natsu growled under his breath, wanting to go over and make them eat their words. Still atop his bike, Logan also felt an irritation with these random, jeering onlookers. He'd come to know Fairy Tail, and he had a little bit of first hand knowledge of Sabertooth. Logan knew that there was objectively no meaningful comparison between the two guilds, and suspected that he was the only person in the country who did.
"If anyone wants to laugh, they can do it all they want." The master said with a sage stoicism.
"Sounds like a good time to me!" Happy pronounced.
He then proceeded to snicker at Jet and Droy.
"Hey! You don't have to laugh at us, cat!" They shouted in unison.
"Don't forget, we're doing this for the thirty-mill-" The master cleared his throat. "I mean we're doing this for the honor of Fiore's top ranked guild, of course! Our founding master rose from her eternal slumber to save our lives, so let's make her proud!"
Everyone grunted their agreement.
As Makarov removed Asuka from his shoulders, he said, "Now then, we know that the games will begin tomorrow, but unfortunately, we don't know what they'll be."
"What? I thought you guys did this every year." Natsu said.
"Yeah, but the games change every year." Alzack told him.
"Pick me up, daddy!" His daughter requested just as she jumped.
Bisca continued, "The year my sugar-pistol and I didn't participate, they had a big old target shooting game."
"And the year that I decided to sit out, there was a foot race." Jet told them with bitterness.
Droy said, "They take the team's score over a bunch of different contests to determine the winner."
"They like to mix it up." Levy added. "I've looked through records of previous games, and there's no real consistency to them."
"I can attest to that, in a way. I've never had to deal with anyone who was a part of it myself, but from what I've overheard in some less than reputable places, the Fiore underworld has a huge betting racket on what events of the games will be, who from which guilds will participate, and obviously, who'll win, both individually and the whole thing. From what I've heard, the gangs make a mint on this thing." Logan explained.
Natsu smacked his fists together. "Well, then we'll just have to play it by ear. But I hope there's some kind of fight!"
"Erza," the master said, shoving a book into her hands. "I'd like you to read through the official rule book by tomorrow."
"I'm to read all this?" She asked.
"Ah, don't worry! I have my wind reader glasses with me."
"Levy to the rescue!" Lucy praised.
After taking a few brief minutes to read the entire book, Levy began her analysis.
"Hmm. Okay, to sum it all up, I would say there are three major rules. The first one is that the master of each guild isn't allowed to participate."
"Sounds sensible enough." Makarov stated.
"A guild can't have anyone who doesn't bare its respective emblem take part on its behalf."
"Kinda took that one as a given." Said Gray.
"And every game will remain a mystery until the very moment it is announced and only then will the game's rules be explained in detail." Levy finished.
"That's certainly not very helpful." Erza thought aloud.
"Oh, this one could be important too. All participants must return to their designated inn by twelve o'clock."
"There's a curfew?" Erza asked.
"What time again?" Lucy asked.
"I suppose they mean midnight tonight." Carla said.
Thinking about it, Logan speculated. "If I were to guess, that rule would probably have a two-fold meaning. One being out of fairness to all the guilds, trying to ensure everyone got enough rest before each day's event. The other would be to discourage anybody who may be tempted to try and give their side an unfair advantage."
"I get your meaning." Gray said. "By having a curfew, you'd know that any guild wizards out on the street afterwards might be up to a little sabotage, making it easier to catch them if they do try something."
"This is great! We've got tons of time before midnight! And since this is the first time in the capital for most of us, let's go check it out!" Enthused Natsu.
"Aye, sir!"
"Wait for me!" Lucy yelled as she started after them.
"Hold on! Do you know where we're staying?" Erza shouted her question.
"The Honeybone Inn, right?" Lucy answered.
"Just be sure to be back by twelve o'clock. You hear me?"
"Aye!" Happy yelled across the distance.
Erza placed her hand on her chin, pondering the curfew. To herself, she couldn't help but wonder if there might be another meaning to it altogether.
"So, what are you guys gonna do?" Gray asked the others.
"I really want to check out some of the flowers around the city, and especially at the king's castle. I've heard it has some of the most beautiful flowers of the entire continent." Wendy said.
"That's cool. I think I'm just gonna walk around and see the place." Gray said back.
"I believe I'll go and register us at the inn, make sure everything's above board. Logan, would you care to join me?" Erza said.
"Actually, I think I'm gonna hit up the freelance office, see if there are any good bounties at the moment."
"Why would you do that?" Carla asked.
"Yeah, it seems odd when we're here to win the games to go looking for a job." Gray added.
Logan shied away from their questioning looks for a moment, but then looked them squarely in the face to answer.
"I have confidence that Fairy Tail will be able to win the games and that prize money, but just on the off chance that we don't, it won't hurt anything for our team to be able to have some work lined up right away. You know, for everybody's bills and such."
Erza, Gray, Wendy and Carla all widened their eyes a little in surprise, and then grew a little sheepish at not having considered the possibility themselves.
"Ah, hell! You go right ahead, man. I guess it's about time we had someone on this team who really thinks ahead." Gray said jovially, throwing a brotherly arm over Logan's shoulders.
"Uh, thanks, Gray."
"Yes, I too am quite impressed and heartened by your prudence." Erza declared, grabbing Logan's shoulder and slamming his head sharply into the breastplate of her armor.
With a strong new headache and a ringing in his ears, Logan faintly replied, "It's really not a problem."
Straightening up and after taking a few moments for what felt like it could almost be a concussion to clear, Logan strode his magic-cycle again and reattached the SE-plug.
"I'll see you guys later at the inn, and if I see Natsu and Lucy, I'll be sure to remind them not to be late."
With that, he rode off at a sedate pace, being mindful of the many pedestrians.
OOO
When Erza arrived at the Honeybone Inn, she instantly noted how Master Makarov had seemed to book them accommodations which were a good balance between comfort and affordability. It was an old building, standing three stories tall, but had clearly been renovated and added onto sometime in the relatively recent past. The result was a mix of classical and modern architecture, with a Gothic spire sticking out of the top near the left rear of the building, and a more fluid symmetry in the front with a multi-paneled window which extended over two floors in the shape of a capital "L."
After checking herself and the others of her team into the hotel, she was immediately shown to the room and promptly left alone by the attendant.
"Six beds have been prepared. We must all be sharing the same room. I suppose after our stay at the beach, the guild couldn't afford for us to even have separate rooms between the men and women." She thought out loud.
She then set about a careful and thorough examination of the room, searching through the closets, under the beds, removing the covers, going through all drawers and stationary provided by the hotel, scrutinizing every crack and crevice with a minute eye, even removing flowers to check inside their vases.
"Nothing seems to be out of the ordinary here." She thought.
After satisfying herself that there was nothing amiss with the room, Erza treated herself with a long and luxuriating bubble bath, followed by polishing the sword she most often used. The action of polishing her swords was always an especially soothing one for Erza. The methodical nature required to adding a glean to the blade without hurting oneself was very calming to her, and gave her a reassurance of mind in knowing that the weapon she depended on for her life was in the greatest condition it could.
OOO
Out in the city, the other members of Fairy Tail's strongest team were having a grand time exploring the capital. Lucy, Natsu and Happy were just walking around, taking it all in when Lucy happened to spot a particular cart of flowers.
"Oh, Natsu, check these out! I've seen pictures of these flowers in some books. They grow in Fiore's neighboring country of Aclaria. These must be imported."
"That's quite right, young lady." Said the fifty-something man holding onto the pushing end of the cart. "I get them from my brother and his family who live in Aclaria. So few people recognize them."
"They're just beautiful." Lucy gushed, glancing over all the multicolored flowers.
Natsu bent down and took a good whiff with his dragon slayer's super-nose.
"Wow! Those are some nice smells, and not too strong either. I like it."
"Since you kids are able to appreciate them, you can have these wreaths, free of charge."
"Really?! Oh, thank you so much!" Lucy said profusely as she took the leis the older man held out to her.
She turned to Natsu and quickly put one of them around his neck.
"Here you go, Natsu.""
He giggled as she lowered the flowers. "That tickles!"
He then grabbed one of the wreaths out of her hands.
"Now, it's my turn." He said, dropping an identical wreath around her neck.
"Ah, thanks."
"Well, don't you two look all nice and matchey? Just like a couple in loooove!" Crooned the floating cat.
"Oh, don't think I've forgotten about you, Happy. Hold him, Natsu!"
Natsu grabbed onto his best friend, and while Happy made a show of trying to wriggle free, there was no real effort behind the act. With ease and dexterity, Lucy quickly tied a single flower into his fur just beneath his right ear.
"Thank you so much for these, sir." Lucy said appreciatively while placing the final lei on top of her head.
"No, thank you, kids. You made my day. Hope you enjoy your stay here in Croqus." He said, gave a departing wave, and started pushing his cart away.
OOO
"Gray, my darling!"
Gray turned around to see none other than Juvia standing behind him. She was dressed in a black skirt held up by a brown belt, a matching, long sleeve top with gold buttons and a white muff around the neck, and a black toboggan hat with more white fur trimming the edge.
"Hey! Didn't expect to see you. You come all this way by yourself?" He asked.
"I'm not the only one, silly. The entire guild came here to cheer you all on."
"I guess nobody's busy taking on any jobs, huh?"
"What do you think about you and I going to get a bite to eat somewhere?" Juvia asked.
"Yeah, sure. I am getting pretty hungry." He then paused for a moment, imagining something. "But only if you promise not to tell the wait-staff we're married, on our honeymoon, or anything similar."
"Lucky for you, I know of a perfect restaurant not far from here."
Appearing in the center of the space between them, as if by magic, was Gray's old friend, long time rival, and former fellow apprentice of Ur, Lyon Vastia.
"Lyon?!"
Before he could be stopped, Lyon had placed one arm across Juvia's shoulders and was leading her away.
"It's quite romantic, acutally. Complete with an aquarium filled with beautiful creatures from the sea." He told her.
Juvia stuttered, "Oh yeah? Well- I, uh-"
"Hey, man! You can't just go running away with one of our guild members!" Gray shouted after them.
"Rumor has it you're entering the Grand Magic Games. Is that right?" Lyon asked, half turning back to Gray with the superior presence of someone with a secret.
"Yeah." Gray confirmed.
"It's no use, for Lamia Scale will surely emerge as the victor."
"I thought you guys always come in second place."
With that provocation, Lyon turned completely, closed the distance between them, and put his face right up into Gray's.
"And your guild always comes in last place!" He countered. "But this year will be different for us because Jura and I will be participating in the games for the very first time. That means we'll be stronger than ever before!"
"Well, we happen to have our own ace in the hole known as Erza Scarlet, so don't count us out of the race just yet!"
"Let's make a friendly wager! If Lamia Scale wins the Grand Magic Games this year, then the beautiful Juvia will become part of our guild!" Lyon declared.
"Are you serious?!"
Juvia said nothing, but made a great number of small, panicked shrieks.
"And, what if we win?" Gray asked, playing along for form's sake.
Lyon pointed at Gray and said, "If your guild wins, we'll give her back."
"She's already a member of our guild, ya bonehead!"
"This is a gentleman's agreement, so don't forget it, Gray."
"This has got to the absolute stupidest bet I've ever heard of!"
"The words of a man afraid to lose." Lyon taunted him.
"Oh, I ain't afraid."
The two men stared each other down, each of them in turn feeling the fire of competition flaring up inside their hearts. Without warning, Juvia suddenly jumped in between them.
"My darling Gray, please don't torture us any longer! Do you want to be with Lyon or the woman who loves you?! You have to make up your mind already!" She demanded frantically.
Gray groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"This girl is really off somewhere in her own world. No wonder she never gets what I'm telling her." He thought.
OOO
Alone in their room at the Honeybone Inn, Erza laid down on the bed she'd claimed for herself, having changed into her usual set of pjs. After her earlier traveling with the group and everything else she'd done during the day, Erza felt the slightest amount of fatigue and allowed her eyes to close.
"You know, coming from someone as strong as you, I really think it just might work."
In the realm of sleep, Erza's subconscious mind wandered back to a recent conversation.
"It's funny. You've been with us for nearly four months now, but you and I still haven't talked very much, have we?" She asked.
"I, uh, I think that's mostly my fault."
Erza gave a small, satisfied laugh in response. "Yes, I think that'd be accurate to say. But, even though you are very reserved and reticent, I enjoy your company. I'm glad to have you on our team and a part of our guild."
"Thanks, Erza. I appreciate this, and I won't let you down." Logan said.
The Logan in her dream then did something she hadn't seen before. The edges of his lips twitched and curled up in a small, closed-mouth smile. It was just the barest glint of a smile, but to Erza, it expressed a dam's worth of unspoken emotion pouring out from her friend.
"I'm sure you won't."
Erza suddenly awakened, sitting up quickly in bed. She felt a tiny bit odd about her dream, but it and the causal memories swiftly took a backseat when she noticed Ichiya of Blue Pegasus standing next to her bed.
"My dear Scarlet, your fragrant parfum is just as intoxicating as I remember! Sniff, sniff! Sniff, sniff, sniff!"
With nothing to display her mood but the twitching of her eyebrow, Erza got out of the bed, opened the terrace window next to her bed, and moved back around to face Ichiya.
"You need to respect my privacy!" With one impossibly fast and monstrously strong uppercut, she sent him literally flying out the window. "Got it?!"
Erza closed her eyes, breathing a sigh of relief.
"You're so beautiful when you're angry."
She opened her eyes again to find Hibiki Lates, Eve Tearm, and Ren Akatsuki all standing around her, following Ichiya's example.
"We didn't come here to make you feel better, so don't get the wrong idea." Ren said.
"Would you like to freshen up?" Hibiki asked.
Erza clenched her fist in renewed anger.
"Why don't you follow your little troll of a master?!" She screamed and punched each of them out of the window one by one.
Erza then quickly closed and bolted the window, and proceeded to make a second inspection of all the locks.
OOO
Some time later and halfway across the city, Wendy and Carla, still engaged in their own sightseeing tour, arrived at the gardens of the royal palace.
"Isn't that beautiful, Carla?"
"Breathtaking." The little cat replied.
Reading from the paper in her hand, Wendy said, "Just like Logan told us, they call it Mercurius, the towering Flower Light Palace."
"Looking at it makes me wonder what the king is like." Carla said.
"I'll bet he has a long, white beard!" Wendy said excitedly.
"Perhaps he does, child."
OOO
Unknown to either of the ladies, far above their heads perched a small, imp like creature, leering down at them and cackling to itself malevolently.
OOO
Lucy, Natsu, and Happy were still touring the city themselves.
"It really is amazing how many flowers bloom in this city, don't you think?" Lucy asked.
"Well, they don't call Croqus the flower blooming capital for nothing." Happy said.
"FIGHT!" Someone in a nearby crowd hollered.
"Ah!" Natsu grunted, turning excitedly towards the crowd. "I guess fights are a part of this festival after all! Let's check it out!"
He and Happy started dashing quickly towards the crowds.
"With all the different guilds that are here, there were bound to be a couple of scuffles." Happy said.
"Hold on, you guys!" Lucy yelled.
On the approach, Natsu's face quickly shifted from one of goofy excitement to serious consideration.
"Huh? You smell that?"
"What is it?"
"There's no way, but it smells like there's a dragon around here."
Natsu quickly cut his way through the crowd, having to go down to his knees to get through the last layer. The scene he found was one of two guys, one blond, one dark haired, standing over the splayed bodies of seven other guys whom they'd knocked out. Standing right next to either guy was a very small cat, each standing upright.
"Anybody else want some?" The blond guy asked.
"Man, these guys are nothing but a bunch of losers." The cat next to the blond guy said.
"Yeah, they're big time losers." The other one said.
"What's going on here?" Natsu asked as he emerged from the crowd.
He'd instantly gained the attention of the two guys in the center of the square.
"Well lookie here." The blond guy said.
"Is that Natsu Dragneel?" The other one asked.
"Kitties?!" Happy yelled upon coming face to face with the other two cats.
"Get a load of that stupid looking blue pussycat." The dark red cat said.
"He's stupid." The one in the frog costume echoed.
"And they can talk too?!" Happy went on.
"And that's surprising why exactly?" Lucy asked him.
Answering the two guys, Natsu said, "Yeah, that's me, but who are you?"
One of the onlookers in the crowd then said to his friend, "Has this guy seriously never heard of Sting and Rogue, the twin dragons of the Sabertooth guild before?"
"They're the main force behind the strongest guild in Fiore." His friend added.
"These guys are members of Sabertooth?" Lucy asked no one as she took a step closer.
"You think you're hot stuff?" Natsu asked the guys.
Sting slowly moved closer to Natsu, chuckling out loud with a tone of sheerly delighted menace.
"So, the rumors about you entering the Grand Magic Games this year were true after all."
"How do you know who I am?" Natsu asked.
"Everybody knows," Sting said, leaning down closer to Natsu. "You're the dragon slayer who couldn't actually slay a dragon. Doesn't sound like much of a dragon slayer to me."
Sting straightened up, his body language continuing to project an aura of smugness.
"The sad part is, I actually used to look up to you. My friend was a big fan of Gajeel's."
"It was more of a curiosity, as he was known as a fellow dragon slayer." Rogue contradicted.
"You've gotta be kidding me. You're both dragon slayers?" Natsu asked.
"We would prefer that you call us 'true dragon slayers' instead." Sting said. "Because unlike you, we could have easily slain Acnalogia."
"Well, you'd be telling a different story if you'd actually gone up against that monster like we did." Countered Lucy.
"Yeah! You weren't even there!" Happy added.
"This pussycat sounds as tough as he looks." The dark red cat said.
"Yeah, you're way smarter than him, Lektor." The other one said.
"Doesn't matter if we were there or not." Rogue said.
"What it all boils down to is that we're far superior." Sting said.
The red cat than stepped closer to Natsu, saying, "Let me explain a little something to ya. Natsu and those other two are what's known as 'First Generation Dragon Slayers' cause they all got their magic power directly from dragons firsthand. Your old buddy Laxus and that guy Cobra from the Oracion Seis got their magic from dragon lacrymas that were implanted inside their bodies. We call them 'Second Generation Dragon Slayers.' But Sting and Rogue here are far more powerful cause not only do they have dragon lacrymas inside them, they were raised by actual dragons who taught them how to use their magic. They're third generation hybrids!"
"Third generation?" Natsu asked.
OOO
After his trip to the Hardwood Freelance Office and getting a number of bounties assigned to his name, Logan had been forced to go to a meal with Jerome Hardwood, the owner of the office. A boisterous, loud-mouthed man who even put Natsu to shame in being obnoxious, Logan had been forced to spend two hours fielding and repelling questions from Hardwood on everything from why he hadn't been around for jobs in four months to where he was living at the moment, all of which he'd refused to answer as politely as possible.
When Hardwood had finally passed out from drinking too much, and Logan had paid the bill out of Hardwood's wallet, he'd had to put the man into a carriage before finally heading off himself, to his eminent relief. Logan would have just ignored the guy entirely and gone to the inn to rest, but Hardwood had a reputation for being unstable and sometimes vindictive towards anyone who didn't indulge him, and Logan didn't want to risk being banned from the best freelance office in the country.
Using his knowledge of the city and his keen sense of direction, along with his knowledge of landmarks close to the inn they booked, Logan was taking the most efficient route he could plot from the restaurant back to his friends. He figured he was about halfway back to the inn when he had to slow his bike to get around a large crowd, and as he was passing, the name of "Natsu" floated up from the throng and met his ears. Since he'd never actually heard that name anywhere before meeting his friend, Logan parked his bike and made his way into the crowd.
What he found was a scene consisting of Natsu, Lucy, and Happy seemingly facing off with two guys, whom Logan was surprised to find that he recognized.
"In other words, they're the ultimate dragon slayers." A dark red cat boasted.
"You guys really think you're so much better than everyone else?" Natsu asked them.
"They don't just think they are. There's a huge difference in skill between first and third gen dragon slayers. You wish you were half as strong as they are." The cat went on.
"Tell me something," Natsu said seriously. "Did you guys dragons disappear in the year 777 too?"
"Yeah, you could say that." Sting said.
"More to the point, they died." Rogue said.
Natsu gasped, understanding and not liking where this was going.
"The creatures that passed down their dragon slayer magic techniques to us, we eliminated them with our own hands, so that we could earn the titles of true dragon slayers." Rogue said without a hint of falsity in his bearing.
"I don't believe it. You killed them?" Lucy asked.
"Is that really true? Humans killing dragons?" Happy asked in an awe filled terror.
"You scum! Those were your parents!" Natsu shouted at them hotly.
"Yeah, sure, whatever, has-been. It's been fun, but we ought to be getting back to our hotel. Need our strength to make sure that Sabertooth wins the games again."
Sting then turned to leave, and as he did, the twisting of his head caused him to come into eye contact directly with Logan from twenty feet away. His face morphed instantly from the pompous superiority it had been sporting to one of snarling, barely contained fury.
"I don't believe it. Rogue. Look who else is here." Sting growled.
Rogue turned in Sting's direction, quickly spotting the focus of his friend's ire.
"Well, isn't this a surprise." Rogue rasped out, matching his friend's anger.
They together sauntered right up to Logan. The people around Logan parted to give the two Sabertooth members more room with which to crowd him.
"Well, well, look who've we got here. You come because you finally want to pay us that money you owe us?" Sting asked.
Logan said nothing.
"Or maybe he just wants to make things right and have that fight that's long overdue." Rogue postulated.
"Hey!" Natsu yelled at the top of his lungs.
Before anyone could stop him or say anything, Natsu had forced his way between the two members of Sabertooth and Logan.
"You tryin' to pick a fight with our guild mate now?!"
"Guild mate?!" Rogue asked, seemingly stunned.
Sting's fist clenched and trembled with rage, wanting desperately to lash out.
"You mean that you went and joined up with these losers after you-" Sting cut himself off, suddenly remembering all of the nearby bystanders within earshot. "You owe us, big time! You bounty hunting piece of scum."
"You better be real careful right now." Natsu hissed in a low tone. "You keep on insulting my friend and I'm not gonna be responsible for what happens."
Logan than placed his hand on Natsu's shoulder, gripping it tightly.
"Natsu, let's just get out of here."
"But they're-"
"Not worth the risk of getting Fairy Tail disqualified. Especially when we'll have ample opportunity of facing them in the games. Just save it." Logan urged him, putting as much force into his voice as he could. "Lucy, Happy, we're leaving."
With that, Logan turned and made his way back through the crowd, his three friends following closely behind. Sting and Rogue watched intently as Logan reattached the SE Plug of his bike to his arm, fired up, and the four of them started walking away. It wasn't until they'd turned the first corner that the group from Fairy Tail said anything to each other.
"So, what was all that about?" Lucy demanded loudly. "Logan, you know those two guys?"
"Only on the most fundamental of levels." Logan replied.
"Well, you gonna tell us?" Natsu asked.
Logan exhaled pointedly through his nose.
"It was a couple of months before I met all you guys. To make a long story short, I had a bounty to bring in these thieves, but when I caught up to them, those two back there were already beating them up. From their tattoos I guessed that they were guild wizards, and since the job I'd taken had specifically been a freelance, I figured Sting and Rogue were there on a job to recover the stolen loot. So, I decided that efficiency would be the better part of valor."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Happy asked.
"I waited for them to finish their job, and then I made sure they wouldn't be able to interfere with mine." Logan said.
"Wait, you don't mean that you waited for them to knock out the thieves and then you cold-cocked them, do you?" Natsu asked.
"They were never gonna let me take the thieves in myself, even though it wouldn't stop them from completing their job. I needed the money, so, I did what it took. Anyway, fast-forward about ten hours and I was just coming out of the Custody Enforcement Unit's office with my bounty when those two suddenly accosted me. Seems they'd followed my scent in order to express their displeasure with me. I won't go into everything they said, but there was a lot of shouting and a lot of cursing. Turns out I'd been right in assuming that my taking the thieves wouldn't conflict with their payday, but they saw it as a humiliation that they weren't able to bring in the stolen goods and the criminals at the same time."
"Can you really blame them?" Lucy asked with some attitude.
"With hindsight, I guess not. Anyway, if we still hadn't been nearby the Custody Enforcement Unit, I'm pretty sure I would have had to fight my way out of there. They knew they couldn't take their anger out on me directly, so when it was clear they couldn't bully me into handing over my money, Sting switched tactics. He tried to recruit me. They'd have to make up some story about what happened anyway, so I guess he thought that it'd help the image with his guild if they brought back a strong new member in the process."
"And you obviously turned them down cold as a fish." Happy said.
"Of course I did. After all that spectacle, and, also, their sales pitch for joining was all 'powerful members' this and 'fame' that, there was no way I could trust them. It was clear they weren't interested in anything but covering their own hides."
"Well, their loss is our gain." Natsu said cheerily, slapping Logan on the back. "Man, I can't wait til I get to pummel those guys in the games!"
"It'll happen, Natsu. I'm sure of that. Now, we probably should get back to the inn before Erza gets mad at us." Lucy said.
OOO
Back at the Honeybone Inn, exhausted from both her strange dream and the unwanted intrusion by Blue Pegasus, Erza was attempting to pass the time with a game of solitaire. With playing cards spread out in front of her, and nothing to keep her company but the ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner, Erza casually flipped through the deck, lifelessly searching for the four of clubs.
"They're late."
OOO
"Explain yourselves. Where have you been all this time?" Erza asked of Natsu, Lucy, Gray, and Logan with both her arms and legs crossed in front of her.
The very second they'd come in, Gray within just a few minutes of the others, Erza had adopted her most imposing demeanor. Out of sheer chagrin for their tardiness, the three longer standing members of the team had all knelt on their knees, while Logan had remained standing.
"Having a completely unejoyable meal." Gray said.
"Humoring a ridiculous drunkard." Logan groaned.
"We ran into a couple of other contestants." Lucy reported. "A real nasty pair if you ask me."
Beside her, Natsu and Happy were both remembering separate parts of their interaction with the Sabertooth guild. They were each focusing on moments when the respective dragon slayers and exceeds from the opposing faction had insulted them.
"THOSE STUPID JERKS ARE GOING TO WISH THEY'D NEVER MESSED WITH ME!" The two cried out in unison.
"Do any of you know where Wendy ran off to?" Erza asked.
"Uh, no." Lucy grunted in surprise.
"I haven't seen her." Gray said.
"Wait, you mean she isn't back yet?" Logan asked, his tone growing concerned.
Happy said, "Well, it's a pretty safe bet she's off somewhere with Carla and it's not really like her to get lost."
"It's almost midnight." Erza commented, looking at the clock.
Lucy's imagination suddenly kicked into overdrive. In an agitated outpouring, she spouted, "I hate thinking about a little girl like her wandering around the city at this hour. Up all night, bad company, delinquency."
In her mind, Lucy saw a scantily dressed Wendy in a tube top, fishnet stockings, and with a shotgun held over her shoulders.
"We're totally running things in this city now!" The imagined Wendy said.
"Don't screw with us!" The imagined Carla added.
"What are we gonna do?!" Lucy anxiously asked the group.
"I know you're supposed to be a writer and all, but this isn't one of your stories, Lucy." Gray said, bringing her back to reality.
Logan was keeping his own feelings in check, but in his mind, he was truthfully every bit as worried as Lucy. He wasn't entertaining the idea that Wendy would suddenly turn into a ne'er-do-well after one night in Croqus, but that didn't mean there weren't plenty of others who couldn't capture her. From rumors and bar talk he'd heard, he knew there were thriving trade markets both for girls of her age for unseemly purposes, and also for enslaved wizards, forced to use their magic as they were directed. He'd thought that between all the royal guards around the capital and Wendy's own power that it would be safe enough to leave her alone for a few hours, but her not having returned was highly upsetting.
Across the room, the door to their room opened and Elfman and Lishanna stepped through.
"We brought some supplies to get you through the tournament." Elfman said.
"Tomorrow's gonna be a big day." Lishanna said happily.
"Aw, thanks a lot, you guys." Gray said.
"Hey, did you come all the way here to watch us beat up on those other guilds?" Natsu asked Elfman.
"Yeah! I mean, I originally wanted to get in on the action and impress my sisters, but a real man knows when to quit."
"This is perfect timing. Do you mind doing us a small favor?" Erza asked Lishanna.
"What do you need?"
"Well, it's just that Wendy hasn't made it back here for the night as of yet."
"And those of us competing in the games should probably hang out here until it turns twelve o'clock." Gray said.
"What happens at twelve?" Lishanna asked.
"We're really not sure what, but the rules say that we all have to be back here at midnight."
The clock then struck and began to chime the midnight hour.
"Which is right now." Gray said.
"What's gonna happen?" Natsu asked.
A louder bell from the grand cathedral then began to chime, ringing to be heard across the length of the city.
"Attention all contestants participating in this year's Grand Magic Games, goooood mooorrrrnnnning!" A sing-song voice announced with booming resonance.
"Outside." Erza declared.
She, Logan, Natsu, Gray, and Lucy all quickly ran out onto the balcony to see the newest development.
"Whoa! What in the heck is that thing?!" Natsu asked.
"Is it some kind of hologram?" Lucy asked.
"It's a great big pumpkin!" Happy said.
Suspended in the sky more than two hundred feet above the buildings was the holographic projection of some kind of mascot, dressed in black pants, a red and white vertically striped shirt, a green cape, and a matching witch's hat on top of a large pumpkin for a head.
The projection went on to say, "In order to narrow down the one-hundred thirteen guilds in this year's games to a more manageable eight, let's begin the preliminary round!"
"Seriously?!" Gray asked.
"This is news." Erza said.
"Well, that certainly explains everything." Logan said. "We had to fill in where we'd be staying in town, right? Stands to reason that everyone else did as well, which is why the rules said we had to be here at this time, so they could enact this. A hundred and thirteen competing guilds reduced to eight in one fell swoop."
Lucy thought to herself, "One-hundred thirteen. I had no idea there were that many guilds in Fiore to begin with. That number seems way too high."
"It doesn't make sense." Erza thought. "Why would they keep this preliminary round a secret until now? Why all these new procedures? The excessive number of guilds involved, and the mysterious magic power Jellal talked about. What are the organizers up to?"
The projection in the sky continued, dancing a small jig as it rhymed.
"Although the number of guilds increase and multiply each year, the games have gotten boring now, that's all I ever hear. Let's whittle them down, I say to you, and give just eight a cheer. The rules for this preliminary round are simple."
The Honeybone Inn began to shake and rattle violently just before raising itself up into the sky.
"What the?!" Gray asked no one.
"What's happening?" Erza asked.
"The inn is rising up!" Logan said.
Natsu instantly gripped a hand over his mouth in motion sickness.
"Look! The others are doing it too!" Gray told them.
"A real man dreams of rising up!" Elfman proclaimed, apropos of nothing.
"Now, you will all be participating in a race!" The pumpkin mascot said. "The finish line is at the Domus Flau coliseum. Only the first eight teams to reach it will move on to the Grand Magic Games!"
In front of the Fairy Tail team's balcony, planks of wood started to materialize out of thin air to levitate before them.
"That's a path." Gray observed.
"I suppose we'll be following it." Erza said.
The pumpkin said, "You're free to use magic in any way you see fit. There are no restrictions. But remember, only the first eight teams to cross the finish line will clear this round. However, all five team members must cross the goal for it to count."
Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Logan and Erza all gave a collective gasp at that rule's revelation.
"One more thing: We are not responsible for any loss of life that may occur in the labyrinth." The mascot said.
"Say what?!" Natsu asked.
Logan then said gravely, "This is no preliminary round. It's a battle royale."
Looking up, they all noticed a gigantic globe hanging in midair above their heads. It wasn't a perfect sphere, possessing many breaks in the surface, open areas, lopsided curves, and protruding spikes. It more closely resembled a flail than anything else.
"So, without further ado, let the Grand Magic Games preliminary round, Sky Labyrinth, begin!"
OOO
A/N: There's another chapter done, and we're getting into the games now. Hope everyone is enjoying the story and I'd love to hear from you about what you think.