I'm ready for love, and I'm ready for war
But I'm ready for more
I know that nobody's ever been this fucking ready before
When we got to the capital late in the evening, we head straight for the Honeybone Inn that was going to be our housing for the duration of the games. Makarov greets us at the bar and tells Laxus and I that we will be staying in a room with the other members of our team. The other team is off exploring the capital, having been warned about the strict curfew tonight. I wished we could have gone to explore the city, but perhaps I'd get a chance later. I've been here a few times anyway, just would have loved to show my friends around.
The Thunder Legion leaves to their own rooms and Laxus leads the way to the one we'll be sharing with Gajeel, Mira, and Juvia. I'm dreading having to share with so many people, but at least we won't have to stay cooped up often with the games' busy schedule. Juvia was not in the room when we walked in, and I wave in greeting to Gajeel and Mirajane.
"Hi guys!" Mira says excitedly as she comes up to me "How was your training?"
We hug and I smile at the take-over mage "It went great. I'm so ready to kick some Sabertooth butt!"
Gajeel stands and hugs me after Mira lets me go to greet Laxus. "Hell yeah, it's gonna be sweet."
We sit and talk for a while, all of us telling stories from our training before Juvia shows up. She informs us of her trip to the spirit world and I stare in shock. Hopefully, they didn't fall too far behind because of that. It had to have been amazing though, and I feel a slight bit of jealousy. But, at the same time, I enjoyed my days with Laxus and the Thunder Legion a lot and wouldn't trade them for anything.
It's nearly midnight when we finish our stories, and we are all starting to feel anxious. They had told us all that we must be in our rooms by that time and nobody knew why. I had taken part in many of these games over the years, but it was always different. It had never started this way before.
"I wonder what they'll do this year." I say, bouncing my leg nervously.
"Whatever it is, we'll do fine. Don't worry (Y/n)." Laxus places his hand on my knee to stop the bouncing and I smile gratefully at him. I don't realize how our interaction might look to everyone else until I hear Mira's squealing and Gajeel's grumbling.
"Quit giving each other bedroom eyes, it's disgusting."
"Shut up Gajeel." I reach over and punch him hard and he laughs, wincing slightly. I barely have time to enjoy the satisfaction of bruising the man before Mira starts clapping excitedly.
"You guys are so cute! Did something happen between you two during your training?" Mira giggles and I roll my eyes.
"I wish Gray-sama would look at Juvia like that!" The water mage sighs dramatically.
"That's it, I'm out. You guys are ridiculous." I stand up to go onto the balcony to get some fresh air when suddenly the clocks chime midnight. Everything goes quiet, and we stay still as we wait for whatever was going to happen. We suddenly heard a loud voice from outside and collectively head out onto the balcony to see what was going on.
"The fuck is that supposed to be?" Laxus sneers, crossing his arms as we stand and watch the large projection of a pumpkin-headed man talking.
I giggle at Laxus's disturbed expression as the projection begins to speak. We all listen intently to what he says as he goes on to explain how they'd be having a preliminary round to cut down the massive number of teams that had signed up this year. Only 8 teams would be able to compete this time and they created an elaborate sky labyrinth to help narrow it down. I feel myself getting nervous again. I had never heard of anything like this happening before. He finishes his explanation and I glance at my guild mates. They all look determined, and I steel my resolve. I wasn't alone, I had incredibly strong teammates with me. We could do this.
Suddenly, the ground starts to shake beneath us. I sigh when I see Laxus and Gajeel hold their hands to their mouths at the movement. The pumpkin-headed man continues explaining how the sly labyrinth works as the inn rises towards it. Eventually the building stops moving and a large stone path opens up in front of us. Laxus and Gajeel shake off their sickness and tense in preparation. This was a race, and it would take a lot of skill and speed to get to the finish line.
"Be prepared for anything." Laxus says and we all nod, waiting for the signal.
They announce the start and we all take off at a sprint towards the Sky Labyrinth. Laxus takes up the lead and I run behind him next to Juvia. Mira and Gajeel are directly behind us and we all make it there quickly. When we get inside the labyrinth I take a moment to look around in wonder. There were tons of stairways leading in all different directions, some of them were upside-down, or sideways, and some led to dead-ends. It was the strangest looking thing I'd ever seen.
"Which way do we go?" I mutter as I frown in confusion.
"This place makes no sense." Gajeel grumbles.
"Well, we're not doing any good just standing here." Laxus says "Let's get moving."
It takes us a while of trial and error before we finally formulate a strategy. We have no problem taking out other guilds we come across, and it was easy to avoid falling every time the arena shifted. Laxus and I would teleport, while Mira transformed into her Satan form to fly. She also helped to grab Juvia to keep the water mage with us. Gajeel used his metal to create spikes out of his boots to keep himself tethered, and we quickly moved on. The shifting eliminated many other teams, and before I knew it we were nearing the finish line.
"I wonder how we placed!" I grin breathlessly as we run the final stretch. I didn't see anyone behind us and was hopeful that we would come in first.
"We'll find out when we get there!" Mira says cheerfully.
"God this path is fucking long." Gajeel growls.
"Juvia wishes she would have worked on cardio!"
"If we didn't have to stay with you slow pokes, me and (Y/n) could have teleported and finished already." Laxus teases and we fist-bump, looking smug. Gajeel rolls his eyes at us and we continue on.
After running for what feels like miles, we finally reach the end. There's a door with the word goal above it in random colors, and the announcer is standing there grinning.
"Hey, it's pumpkin-head!" Gajeel snorts, and the man, Mato, glares at him.
"Congratulations Fairy Tail on finishing the preliminary rounds!" Mato grumbles, turning away from Gajeel. "You have surprisingly come in second, great job."
"Wow, that's awesome!" I say, turning to the two girls on my team and squealing excitedly while the boys deadpan.
"Surprisingly?" Gajeel grouses, looking at Laxus who simply shrugs.
"Eh, who cares? This is only the beginning." He grins.
We leave through the door, which instantly transports us back to our room at the inn. I pace excitedly, my adrenaline still pumping. Lightning sparks off my body and Laxus starts absorbing the sparks so they don't hit anyone.
"Calm down Sparky." He teases and I stop pacing and stick my tongue out at him.
"Isn't that your nickname?" I ask, sitting on my bed to relax. He glares at me and I laugh at his trying-to-be-intimidating look. "If you keep making that face it'll stay like that."
"Good." He says as he flops down onto the couch. He kicks his feet onto the table and rests his arms behind his head. I sneak a glance at him in his tight shirt before looking away. Wow, sharing a room with him is going to be difficult.
"Juvia hopes Gray-sama is doing okay!" Juvia sighs as she drops down dramatically onto her mattress next to me. She has large tears in her eyes and looks like she might melt into a puddle.
"Stop crying before you drown us all." Gajeel barks as he sits on his bed on the other side of the room near Laxus.
"They're gonna do great!" Mira says, patting the water mage's back comfortingly. "It was so much fun!"
"That's your idea of fun?" I giggle. This was such an odd group.
I begin pulling off my shirt to change into more comfortable clothes. I wore a black sports bra underneath that I was going to sleep in. I quickly take off my jeans and change into pajama pants, hardly concerned about the two men in the room. Changing in front of other people was something you got used to as a mage. There were often times when you'd have to share spaces and it was normal to see your teammates undress. Besides, I was damn fine! I didn't care who saw me that way. Everyone else gets changed into sleep clothes as well and we settle in, waiting for the final announcement that signals the end of the preliminary round. We could hear the various explosions going off before it finally grew quiet. The pumpkin guy announced that the last guild had placed, and told everyone they would be starting the first event in the morning. With that, we all quickly fell asleep.
(Grand Magic Games Day 1!)
"Man, I can't wait to see who we'll be competing against." Mira says cheerfully as we stand in a long tunnel under the Domus Flau.
I tighten my ponytail, checking over my attire. I was wearing a black v-neck t-shirt with a gray vest over it, and black shorts. It paired well with my thigh-high socks and combat boots. It would also be easier to fight in than a dress. I found it hard to fight in dresses, so I didn't wear them often. I pace restlessly while we wait for them to officially begin the Grand Magic Games. The crowd is somewhat muffled but I can tell the arena must be completely packed with people. They start announcing the placement of teams, and I laugh when I see Fairy Tail Team A finished in 8th.
"Maybe they should be Team B." Gajeel chuckles.
"I can't wait to make Erza do my bidding!" Mira's face is dark, and I shudder in fear despite it not even being directed at me. The poor requip mage was in for a rough day if we won the competition.
They began listing off the other guilds that had managed to place, many of which didn't surprise me at all. However, I was shocked to learn about Raven Tail being allowed to compete in the games. Up until recently, they were a dark guild, and I wasn't aware their guild status had changed. How it was even fucking allowed was anyone's guess. I'm broken out of my thoughts when they finally announce our team at 2nd place. We walk onto the field to cries of disbelief. Laxus and I coat the team in lightning, the boom making a grand entrance. The look on the other Fairy Tail team's faces is priceless, and we grin at them. I notice that Elfman has replaced Wendy, and I briefly wonder if she's okay. She and I had hung out a bit when we were kids since we were close in age at the time, and I barely had any time to hang out with her before we left for training. The other teams are just as shocked to see a second Fairy Tail team, and so is the crowd. Yajima explains the new rule about entering two teams from his spot at the commentator's stand.
"Why didn't you tell us about this Master?" Lucy pouts.
Makarov simply cackles, "You like that? This is how Fairy Tail takes care of business!"
Team A frowns as the rest of our guild begins to cheer loudly. I giggle and look over to see Laxus staring intently at Raven Tail, completely ignoring everything. I tug on his sleeve to get his attention.
"Don't let those bastards get to you." I whisper. He nods absently, and we turn our attention back to the announcers as they continue.
"Last but not least, the team that came in first!" the announcer Chapati shouts, and we look across the field to see five more mages walk out. "That's right, the guild we all know and love, the strongest in Fiore- SABERTOOOOTTHHH!"
The crowd goes absolutely wild, shouting louder than ever. I glare heatedly at the group of mages, instantly recognizing all of them except the woman, who looks a bit like Lisanna. The sight of the Sabertooth mages had my blood boiling. They often ridiculed me and the other Fairy Tail mages when we participated, and I had a personal beef with the lightning god slayer, Orga. He had yet to actually beat me one-on-one, but still insisted he was a better mage. He sees me glaring and cackles.
"Well well, if it isn't the little wanna-be lightning mage." He jeers, and I feel my face flame up.
"I use storm magic!" I respond, my magic power swirling around me. Laxus grips my shoulder, and I back down.
"Don't let them get to you (Y/n)." He says evenly, copying my words. I nod and breathe out to calm myself.
I look over to where our guild is cheering us on, and I see Bickslow shouting wildly with Evergreen and Freed. I wave to them, feeling content to finally have all my nakama here to support me. The announcers begin talking again, and we focus on learning the schedule for the tournament. A large rock bursts from the ground showing us how the next few days will be laid out. It was a busy schedule, each day having one group competition followed by individual battles. They continue on with the rules and before I know it, they have us select team members to participate in the event called Hidden. I turn to my teammates as we discuss who should go first. Laxus is very eager to compete, but so is Gajeel. The two men start to argue and before we can decide, Juvia sees that Gray is competing and declares that she will go.
"Don't go getting distracted Juvia!" Gajeel growls and we sigh as she runs off to join the other contestants.
We head up to our team's sitting area as the competitors are transported to random places throughout the city that materializes in the arena. Large lacrima screens emerge throughout the stadium, and I stand next to Mira and Laxus to watch. They begin explaining the game and a bunch of look-alikes appear in the city. Juvia gets hearts in her eyes when she's surrounded by Grays, and she hugs one excitedly. She's instantly penalized and thrown to another part of the city, and the announcers finish explaining the rules.
"Ugh. What an idiot!" Gajeel groans from his spot next to Mira, who is giggling.
"She's gonna have some trouble with this one!"
"We wouldn't be having this problem if I had been the one competing." Laxus grumbles. I nod silently in agreement.
We watch for a little longer before Gray is confronted by a guy from Raven Tail. He tricks the ice wizard into attacking a fake, and Gray loses a point.
"Dammit!" I mutter, clenching my fist against the stone wall in front of me. Mira rubs my back comfortingly.
"It's just the beginning sweetheart, don't worry." She smiles, but her eyes are hardened in determination.
"You're right." I sigh, and restlessly watch the rest of the competition. The game finishes with our team in 7th and Team A in last. I feel tears of frustration come up, but I quickly remind myself of Mira's words and blink them away. It's only the beginning. Juvia returns to boos from the crowd. Gray walks off, his face dark in rage as he ignores his team and leaves the arena.
They announce that the first battle will take place shortly, between Lucy and a red-haired woman from Raven Tail. I hoped she'd be okay after what happened to Gray and Juvia. It seemed that Ivan's guild fully intended to target us rather than focus on winning, which was apparent after the first competition. I couldn't believe that even after seven years, Laxus's father still harbored such a deep desire for revenge against Makarov and our guild. His own flesh and blood were gone without a trace, and while we mourned, he continued with his plans to destroy us. It sickened me. I glance over at Laxus, who is glaring at his father's team. It was not surprising to see that he was feeling dismayed. I just wished there was some way I could help him feel better…
We wait silently for the match to start and Lucy manages to hold her own against Flare at first. The tide turns however as Lucy starts taking hits without fighting back, and we all shout in confusion. Why was she just standing there doing nothing? She'd been doing well before that! Flare begins to outright torture the poor girl, threatening to brand her with Raven Tail's guild mark. Before she can, I hear Natsu yelling something from the stands to his teammate and Lucy quickly begins to attack again. Her bright magic power fills the stadium and we watch in admiration as she calls out Gemini and begins her Urano Metria spell. There was no way Flare would be able to make it through this. She was done for!
When Lucy finishes her chanting and stars burst forth towards the Raven Tail mage, it seems like she is going to win. However, the spell is suddenly canceled out and the smoke clears to show Flare completely unharmed. The woman looks over to her team in shock as Lucy faints, her magic power totally drained.
"Those fuckers cheated!" I shout, leaning over the rail "They had something to do with that spell being nullified! She would have won!"
I feel lightning sparking off my body, and I'm about ready to jump over the railing to beat that bitch myself. Laxus grabs me around the waist and drags me back, kicking and screaming. Mira watches sadly while Gajeel scowls silently.
"Let me go you bastard!" I say as Laxus begins absorbing my lightning. "I'll fight 'em all!"
"(Y/n), please." He growls and I still at his tone, ceasing my magic. He pulls me closer to him, burying his face in my neck. His grip is tight around me and my back is pressed flush against him. I turn my head back, trying to read his expression but I can't see his face. I had no idea what he was ever thinking. Although, I was sure he was beyond pissed, being that his own father was running the guild that continued targeting us.
"Laxus…"
"Don't you worry, they're gonna pay for this. So calm down, alright? I'll take care of it." He says determinedly, pulling away and I nod as tears slide down my cheeks.
"Okay," I turn around and hug him "Thanks..."
I bury my face in his coat, ignoring all the jeers from the crowd as Lucy leaves the arena. The other two mages stay silent as Laxus and I hold each other. I'm grateful that Mira has the sense not to comment on our embrace. Surely she understood the severity of the situation. I can't help but wish the Thunder Legion was with us. I know both Laxus and I could use the extra support. The man would never admit it, but he loved his team a lot. Laxus was such a fierce protector when it came to those he cared about. It was one of the things I loved most about him. Love...?
My grip tightens on Laxus briefly before I pull away with a sigh. That was not something I wanted to think about at the moment. The next battle was about to begin. However, I hardly pay attention to the next few matches until I hear Orga's name. He's paired up with some poor sap from Quatro Cerberus, and I roll my eyes.
"This will be quick."
Sure enough, Orga defeats the man with a single black lightning attack before he can use any magic. I see how confused my teammates are and realize they don't know him. Of course, I'd seen his guild rise to stardom, with him always on their team. He was such a cocky bastard and I hated him. It had been like dealing with a worse, less attractive version of Laxus (who I still harbored bitterness towards at the time). I explained to my team that Orga is the lightning devil slayer. I go on to tell them that he and I have always come to a draw when it came to one-on-one fights. Orga had beaten me a few times when competitions required brute strength, but I definitely outwitted that jarhead. Laxus takes great interest, and I notice the way his eyes glint in excitement. The dragon slayer loved fighting strong opponents.
There's one more battle left, which will be our team versus Lamia scale. We're led down to one of the tunnels that lead to the arena and we wait for them to announce the competitors. I'm not too worried, knowing that they'll probably pair up Laxus or Gajeel with someone to put on a good show. Mira was also a secret powerhouse, so there was no telling who would go. I briefly wonder who they'd pick from Lamia Scale too. Lyon was strong and very well-liked, so he was an obvious pick. Then there was Jura. He was the most popular member partaking in Lamia Scale this year. He normally never bothered competing, especially since he was a Wizard Saint. Nobody really came close to his power in any of the guilds.
I'm lost in my musings when I hear my name called over the speakers, quickly followed by Jura Neekis. I gape in shock and look over at Laxus. He looks just as surprised, and I feel myself dreading this upcoming fight. There had to be some mistake, there was no way they'd choose me to fight a fucking Wizard Saint!
"Wow, tough luck kid." Gajeel chuckles.
"Who'd have thought they'd make you fight Jura…" Mira comments sadly. "I don't think me and Erza combined could beat him."
I bite my lip, extremely nervous and on the verge of full-blown panic. Laxus grabs my chin, forcing me to focus on him "Give it your all (Y/n). Don't be scared, just fight until you can't fight anymore, and then get back up again."
I nod absentmindedly as I'm pulled away by security and led to the arena floor. It seemed bigger from down here, and I looked around at all the fans holding signs for Jura. My mind was reeling, but suddenly I heard three voices from my right. I looked over and saw the Thunder Legion holding a sparkling banner with my name and I giggled. Bickslow waved when he saw me looking, blowing me a kiss and sticking out his tongue. His babies swirled excitedly around him, shouting my name. The whole guild was cheering for me, and it helped to give me the confidence to fight.
I focus on the Wizard Saint in front of me and bow in greeting "Jura. I look forward to our match."
Jura smiled "Yes, me too. I hope you know I won't be going easy on you."
"Good, cuz I'm giving this match my all." I respond "I've been waiting for this moment for seven years, and I'm not going to let my guild down ever again!"
The horns blow and the timer begins, and I instantly go on the offensive, sending a lightning storm towards him. Jura blocks it and counteracts with large boulders that I quickly dodge. I used an attack like that often with my earthquake magic and found it easy to predict when the ground would be moving. I run and jump along the rocks, using them to propel me high in the air to get a better vantage point. I get close to Jura and summon an ice storm from above, surrounding him. The ice slices against him and he erects a rock barrier, dispersing my spell. I land back on the arena floor, preparing for retaliation.
He silently summons a large fist from stone, and I use my earthquake magic to erect a large boulder to deflect it. His rock was too strong though, and I cursed as it quickly broke my barrier, sending me flying back. Bits of rock and dirt land on me, and as I stand I decide that instead of using the same element as the Wizard Saint, I should use something that counteracts Earth. That was the great part of storm magic; I could control many different elements.
I decide to use my water-based attacks, and quickly summon a hurricane. Large clouds gather in the sky, creating a cyclone. The winds pick up speed, throwing dirt and water into the air and Jura shuts his eyes to avoid it. The faint shouts of the people in the crowd grow louder, and I focus the spell directly at the earth mage. He tries using another rock barrier again, but this time the water quickly corrodes it away and he's thrown back.
"Well, you're better than I thought you'd be. I should have expected this from one of Makarov-dono's members." Jura laughs as he lands on his feet. He looks completely calm and I grit my teeth. "Guess I really need to step it up!"
"Bring it on old man!" I grin, trying to hide my frustration. I take a moment to catch my breath and prepare for the next onslaught of attacks. This was Fairy Tail's last chance to get points today, and if that meant simply holding out long enough to tie, then so be it.
He starts shooting large boulders at me and I weave around them, using my teleportation to move faster. I sense that he's about to start shooting pillars of rock up from the ground below me, and I carefully jump up onto one of them to get some distance from the floor. I quickly summon my next spell, aiming it down at the wizard saint.
"Storm magic-Tsunami!"
The arena is flooded, knocking over the Wizard Saint. He quickly elevates the ground beneath him, bringing him up to where I'm standing on a separate platform. I pant quietly, having used up a lot of magic power already. Jura is dripping wet, but he stands again. I curse. This guy just doesn't quit!
"I think it's time I stopped playing and ended this." Jura says, and as he grins at me I feel his power grow even more. The feeling was completely overwhelming. I didn't have enough magic left to do anything but try to block his next attack.
Dammit, I thought I'd be okay but there's no way to beat this monster.
I feel dread enter me as he gears up for a stronger attack than all his others. The crowd goes wild as Jura summons a massive amount of magic power and rapidly moves his hand in my direction.
"Supreme King Rock Crush."
Large boulders come flying at me, and I brace myself, unable to dodge. I knew a little about this spell and quickly summoned a rune barrier around me to lessen the blow. It was all I could do at this point. The rocks surround me fully, and a wave of magic energy flies out from Jura, crushing the rocks with me cased inside. I cried out as they broke through my runes, the force of it hitting me like a thousand fists.
The rocks fall away and I drop to the floor, unable to move. My vision grows black around the edges and my ears are ringing as I fight blacking out. The cheering grows louder as Jura is proclaimed the winner, and despite the ringing in my ears, it comes through clearly. I clench my fist tightly and close my eyes, fighting the humiliation of losing. My whole body ached, and I had no strength left.
"You did well, (Y/n)-dono." Jura said softly as he came up to me and helped me stand. I could only hobble along as the Wizard Saint led me to where my team was. Laxus quickly scooped me into his arms, heading for the infirmary.
"I can walk." I groaned, still fighting the urge to pass out. "Put me down."
"Not happening." Laxus said, walking briskly as Gajeel and Mirajane followed. There were no more matches for the day, and I sighed when I realized both Fairy Tail teams were in last. I had failed...
I tried hard to fight tears the entire way.
When we go inside I see that Wendy is sleeping deeply with Carla lying next to her. Lucy had just barely left, so it was only me and my team (minus Juvia, who was still upset about her own competition) and our guild's healer Porlyusica, who gives us a dirty look when we walk in.
"I'm sorry guys." I sigh as Laxus sets me down on one of the beds. I turn my head away in shame "I couldn't even tie with him. I tried so damn hard."
"It's okay (Y/n)." Mirajane says quietly "That was still a good fight."
"You couldn't honestly expect to beat a wizard saint, could ya?" Porlyusica asks gruffly as she prepares medicine for my wounds. I wince as she starts to dab a green liquid on the cuts.
"No kidding." Gajeel chuckles and I can't help but pout.
"Don't worry about it (Y/n)," Laxus says "We're still beating Team A, and we have the rest of the competition to get our title back as the best."
I don't respond, and Porlyusica hands me a nasty-smelling concoction to drink. I quickly down it, nearly gagging at the taste. It soothes my muscles but I know I'll be sore for a while. Honestly, I was lucky nothing was broken.
Despite insisting he wouldn't, Jura went easy on me. The realization stung worse than my wounds.
It's quiet for a few minutes while the healer works. We eventually hear voices shouting in the hall and the door opens up as the Thunder Legion comes barreling in.
"(Y/n) you were awesome out there!" Evergreen says, running up to me and hugging me. I wince in pain and she quickly lets go "Sorry, I forgot!"
"Well done (Y/n)." Freed says and I roll my eyes, annoyed with all the praise.
"Whatever, I lost. There's nothing great about that."
Bickslow comes up to me and brushes my bangs from my face with a wide grin "Yeah, but you got more hits in on him than any of us could ever hope to."
The Thunder Legion nods in agreement and I sigh. The room was full of people who were proud of me and it made me feel loved, despite my frustration.
"Thanks guys."
"Alright, that's enough! You humans stink, get out!" Porlyusica barks "You're free to go too child, just take it easy."
"Thanks Porly." I laugh, dodging her broom as we all shuffle quickly out the door. Where did she even get a broom anyway?
"We're all heading back to the inn if you guys want to tag along." Evergreen says as we begin walking out of the arena.
I move slowly due to my injuries, and so I insist that Mira and Gajeel go do their own thing. I didn't want them to feel like they had to walk with us.
"Sounds good. I'm gonna take a bath when I get there." I sigh "And probably just lay in bed the whole night."
"Awh, don't do that!" Bickslow pouts "Come spend time with us!"
His babies nuzzle carefully against me as they repeat the seith mage "Spend time with us!"
The feeling of the totems nuzzling me makes me giggle and I sigh, giving in to their request.
"Fine, but I'm still taking a bath first. And you're bringing me my drinks!" I say, sticking my tongue out at Bickslow.
"Deal!" He grins, gently putting his arm around my shoulders.
The Thunder Legion, Laxus, and I all eventually arrive at the inn and I go up to my room to get my bath stuff. I spend a long time soaking under the hot water, hissing as it touches my cuts. The warmth feels amazing on my bruised skin and bones. I feel tears well up multiple times as I soak until the water grows unbearably cold. I was dreading going downstairs. When I finally get out and get dressed, I can hear that everyone is talking excitedly. I sigh and make the slow walk down the steps. Bickslow comes running up to me when he sees me. He carefully wraps his arms around my waist and hoists me to a nearby table where several of our guildmates are sitting.
"You don't have to carry me around!" I mumble as he sets me down and I take a seat next to Evergreen. "You're just as bad as Laxus."
The seith mage grins above me and caresses my cheek "It's just how we are; we take care of those we care about."
I blush when I see Laxus watching our exchange from the other side of the table. He has a grin that matches Bickslow's.
"The idiot's right ya know."
The two of them are eerily agreeable, and it's so different from how they usually act. "Did I miss something?"
"Let's just say that when all of this is over, the two of us have a surprise for you." Bickslow says quietly as he sits next to me, ignoring the questioning look I give him.
Neither Evergreen nor Freed were aware of what was happening as the two had been in conversation with a few of the others. I was glad, knowing that Evergreen would be questioning the two men harshly on what their "surprise" was. We sit for a while, everybody drinking and eating and discussing the games. I don't talk much, still trying to get over my loss. After a bit, I notice Gray and Lucy show up looking sore but determined and I nod in greeting to them. They had already moved on from their defeat, but it was not so easy for me. I had experienced so much pain and humiliation in games past, and it got harder every time.
"You okay?"
I glance over to see Laxus watching me and I shrug "I will be."
The dragon slayer frowns, his eyes searching for any hint of dishonesty. Before he can say anything, Makarov stands on a table once he sees everybody is here and calls for everyone's attention.
"Listen up you brats!" He shouts, "Today's defeat is simply the seed for tomorrow's victory. Tomorrow, we begin our climb to the top! We will rise up, because we don't know the meaning of the words 'Give up'! We are Fairy Tail, and we aim to be number one in Fiore!"
He holds his mug of ale high in the air and the guild goes crazy. Everyone begins to drink and celebrate after Gramps' encouraging words. I laugh at the way it seems to motivate everyone, and I'm thankful to have him as a guild master. He always knew the right thing to say. I had gotten used to Macao who would just sit at the bar, stewing over a mug of ale and chain-smoking with Wakaba. Soon I find myself smiling and joining in on the chaos that was my guild. It seemed like everybody was going all out tonight and I didn't want to be left out. After a bit of partying, Bickslow drags me into a drinking contest with Cana, and Evergreen ends up joining us too. I know it will be impossible to beat the card mage, so I settle for simply beating Bickslow and Ever. I briefly wonder if this is a bad idea. However, I really needed to let loose and have fun. Maybe it was a bad way of coping, but getting drunk with my guildmates never failed to make me feel better.
"Alright (Y/n), let's see just how much you can handle!" Cana has an excited grin on her face as she lays out shot glasses on the table.
"There's no way you'll be able to beat me!" Bickslow cackles arrogantly.
"We'll see about that!" I smirk, excited for the challenge. I may have gotten super drunk and blacked out at the club, but I knew I had way more to drink that night than the seith mage. I was confident I could win this battle!
Evergreen sweat drops at our enthusiasm "Why did I agree to this again?"
The four of us quickly begin downing shots, and I match Cana and Bickslow every time. Evergreen ends up tapping out first and we continue without her. She was kind of a lightweight, and I was surprised she had even joined us but she knew how to have fun sometimes! The woman slumps over in her seat after an impressive number of shots and promptly falls off. I giggle at her, making sure she isn't hurt before turning my attention back to the competition. Bickslow was starting to slow down, and soon I'm three shots ahead of him. He hiccups loudly, laughing when the noise scares the fairy mage on the floor, slumped over her stool.
"Damn girl, you're giving Bickslow a run for his money!" Cana hoots, chugging an entire ale before downing another shot. I feel the liquor hit me all at once and I stop, catching my breath. The card mage continues drinking steadily, chasing shots with beer, and I shake my head at her incredible tolerance.
"You're a monster Cana!" I laugh before I steel myself for another shot of liquor. This one makes me shiver and I know I won't make it much longer.
"I give." Bickslow slurs loudly, still three shots behind me. I down one more and call it quits as it sends the room spinning slightly.
"Yup, me too." I mutter as I sit down. The seith mage sits beside me, barely in his chair "Told ya I could beat you Bixy!"
He groans, leaning heavily on me "How often do you drink Stormy, ya god damn alcoholic? "
"Oh shut up I don't drink that much!" I laugh as I push his shoulder playfully.
Bickslow responds to my shove with one of his own and one which I'm completely unprepared for. I begin to fall off my chair and desperately grab onto Bickslow's cape to stop my tumble. He laughs hysterically as he tries to catch me, but he is forced to fall with me since he'd been using me to keep himself upright. He ends up on top of me, smothering me with his heavy clothes. His tongue hangs out of his mouth and I giggle from my spot underneath him. It feels nice being pinned beneath his body, and I don't even care that we're on the rough wood floor. I was way too drunk.
"Jeez, and I thought I was wasted!" Bickslow cackles, leaning heavily over me. I blush brightly at our position, and at the same time, I start laughing at the ridiculousness of it. Evergreen is next to us on the floor, giggling drunkenly.
Freed calls for them suddenly, saying something about the Thunder Legion defending Laxus's honor. He gapes when he sees all three of us on the floor. I grin widely at him from underneath Bickslow, the room totally upside down and spinning.
"We can't..." Evergreen groaned, barely holding herself up. They were way too drunk to even think about getting up.
"Pathetic!" Cana laughs, slurring slightly and having had four more shots than me, not to mention the ales she was chugging. She turns her attention to a dark-haired man who has suddenly come up behind her. He challenges her to another drinking contest and Freed drags us back to our table.
"You guys are ridiculous!" He scolds as he sits us down "(Y/n) might have to compete tomorrow! How do you think she'll feel trying to fight hungover?"
"Ah get the stick out of your butt Freed-y." I giggle, slumped against the table "I doubt they'd make me battle after I got my ass handed to me today, and Gajeel already called dibs on the first competition!"
Freed sighs wearily "You're too much like Bickslow."
The seith mage cackles, throwing his arm around me. I can't help but instantly lean into his embrace. I had been trying to keep my distance, but it was way easier during training. Lately, I'd let both men get closer than I had those few months. I wasn't sure what changed, but it felt nice. My thoughts wandered to the lightning mage, thinking of our embrace earlier. It really didn't feel right letting Bickslow act like this in front of him. I briefly look for him in the crowd.
When I finally spot him I see that Laxus is looking at us, his expression blank until he notices my gaze. I thought he'd get annoyed seeing Bickslow all over me, but he looked simply concerned for my well-being. The look makes me smile. I find myself wishing again that the two men would be willing to join me in a relationship. It was stupid to get my hopes up, but I couldn't ignore the feeling. My heart was completely torn in two, wondering if I really would have to pick between them.
A/N: Whew, preliminaries and the first day of the Grand Magic Games! We're gaining speed now, hope you're enjoying the ride -
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