Chapter 234

Homecoming

The next day, after a night of partying, I stood outside of a hotel with the Strauss siblings, which happened to be the hotel where Natsu and the others were staying. The sun shone high above our heads as I enjoyed the warmth of its rays. At this point, most of the guilds had already gone home to their respective cities, including some of ours, and we were the last about to leave.

Then, as we waited, Wendy came out wearing a cute white and frilly dress with separate sleeves on her arms. Red ribbon bows were wrapped around her waist and on her chest, and her hair was styled in twin tails tied with red adornments.

"Oh, hey, you guys," she greeted. "Are you going to be riding along with us?"

"Sure am," I responded. "Hope you don't mind."

"Of course! The more, the merrier!" smiled Wendy.

Then, the sound of whinnies from horses came, prompting me to look up just in time for a sizeable horse-drawn carriage to pull up. Upon seeing it, Wendy's eyes sparkled in amazement.

"Oh, wow! It looks amazing!" she marveled.

"Extravagant is more like it," observed Carla with an impressed smile.

"Yeah, quite the manly ride," said Elfman. "It's even big enough for all of us to fit in."

Wendy then called out. "Hey, you guys! Come check this out!"

Almost immediately, the rest of Team Natsu came out of the hotel. Most of them were just as amazed when they saw the carriage.

"Looks like we're going to travel Magnolia in style," said Wendy.

"In supreme comfort, I might add," grinned Carla.

The others, along with Elfman and Lisanna, inspected the carriage.

"It certainly is lovely," said Erza as she stroked the mane of one of the horses.

"But where did this carriage come from?" asked Mira. "Another present from the king?"

"Something like that," said Wendy. "This was from the Hungry Wolf Knights."

"If that's the case, then this was more than likely Cosmos and Kamika's idea," said Carla. "It would make sense since the men on their squad don't have any fashion sense."

Natsu, however, was pale in the face while sweating profusely, looking very nervous while frozen as a statue. "Y-You're kidding me. We're riding in that?" he gulped. "Please… don't make me."

"Guess it looks like a deathtrap to you, huh?" Lucy teased with a chuckle.

"Don't worry, Natsu! You'll be fine!" assured Happy. "After all, Wendy's got her Troia spell to stop motion sickness, remember?"

That made Natsu's face brighten. "Oh, yeah! I forgot about that!" he said happily as he looked over at the Sky Dragon Slayer. "Hey, Wendy, hook me up!"

But Wendy's shoulders drooped as she regretfully spoke while slightly crying. "I'm so sorry, Natsu, but the games and the dragons and everything have taken it out of me! I don't know when I'm going to have enough magic power to be able to do anything again!"

Mira then approached her and gently gave her a hug in comfort. "Oh, it's OK, Wendy. Please don't cry," she soothed. "It's not your fault."

Natsu became all the more forlorn as he once again grew pale. "I-It's OK, Wendy," he apologized. "I can hack it, no sweat. I think."

"You know, you can always take the ankle express instead," snarked Gray. "Or, as we like to call it, walking."

"And it's all in the way you look at it," Erza said firmly with crossed arms. "So confront your fear and conquer it."

"Yeah! Be a real man and quit your whining!" chimed in Elfman.

"Don't worry, Natsu. Maybe it won't be so bad," I said, giving him a pat on the shoulder. "I'm sure you'll get through it like you always have."

Natsu then snarled as he pointed an accusing finger at me. "Don't act like it's not your problem either, Willy!" he snapped miserably. "You hate vehicles, too, so you could at least understand my pain!"

I was taken aback by this comment, remembering what happened before.

"Hey, yeah. I almost forgot Willy has motion sickness, too," Lucy said. "It's still a bit hard to believe, knowing that Natsu isn't the only one."

"Now that you mention it, it happened to Gajeel and Sting back at the chariot event," hummed Erza. "It's still quite the surprise to know about."

"Well, that's just perfect," huffed Gray. "Now we're going to have to deal with two of us puking their guts out."

"W-Well, those last few times were on the train," I insisted. "I should be OK with handling a little carriage ride… maybe?"

I looked over at the carriage and started weighing my options for a few moments before reversing my decision.

"You know, on second thought, maybe I'm better off walking instead. Better to not take any chances."

I turned on my heel and was about to walk off when Mira grabbed me by the wrist, preventing me.

"Now, hold on just a minute, mister," she said. "There is no way you're walking back to Magnolia. You're running low on magic yourself and still recuperating. Not only will it take you days to get there, but you'll end up collapsing from exhaustion."

"Well… you're not wrong, Mira, but…" I tried talking back.

However, I was cut off by Mira placing a finger on my lips.

"No buts," she said firmly. "You're riding in the carriage. Besides, I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you in your weakened state after all the fighting you did." She then gave me a look with big eyes and a cute smile. "After all, I am your girlfriend, and as such, I have to make sure you're safe and cared for. Unless… you don't want to ride with me."

Those words felt like an arrow pierced me right in the heart as I felt my face heat up while feeling my wings from my back spring out. Due to having less than usual magic power, they were relatively tiny.

"Why the hell is she so stinking cute?!"

"O-Ok, you win," I conceded.

Mira then smiled. "Good. And don't worry, you can sleep on my lap like you did before," she said. "The carriage should be more manageable than the train."

I then heard someone clear their throat, causing me to glance over at the others, all of whom were staring right at us. Lucy, Wendy, and Erza were bright red, Elfman, Carla, and Gray looked a bit uncomfortable, and Lisanna and Happy grinning from cheek to cheek. Natsu was the only one who looked puzzled.

"Careful, you two. You might want to save the flirting till later," Lisanna teased cheekily.

"Sh-Shut up!" I snapped flusteredly. "Stop staring!"

"They're in looooove~~!" Happy crooned teasingly.

"In any case, why not work it out yourself, Natsu?" asked Carla. "Instead of relying on other people all the time?"

Those words alone were enough to make Natsu explode with determination as he let out a roar.

"You don't need to tell me that! MOTION SICKNESS, TODAY I WILL DEFEAT YOU!"

Without any hesitation, he marched right into the carriage and took a seat, wearing a determined scowl, intending to see this through. The rest of us also made our way inside, joining him. The seats all looked extravagant, as expected from a carriage from the king, and the windows were expansive enough to have a good view outside. Once all of us were seated, the carriage then set off.

No sooner than it did, Natsu instantly became green in the face as his cheeks swelled up. However, he did his best to stay strong. I also felt nausea and vertigo wrack my body as I bit back the urge to make a noise and tried my best to ignore the feeling. But the shaking of the carriage made things all the worse as I felt the familiar taste of bile at the back of my throat.

Then, after trying to endure for around ten minutes, I couldn't handle it anymore.

"That's it… I'm done… I can't take it…"

I flopped onto my side and onto Mira's lap as she gently stroked my head.

"Good grief," I heard Gray sigh in annoyance. "Why am I not surprised this would happen? Dealing with Natsu was bad enough, but now Willy, too?"

"Weak minds, weak stomachs," Erza also sighed.

"There, There. You'll be OK," MIra said in a soothing tone. "Remember to relax and not think."

Like before, despite feeling sick, I felt warm and comfortable as she did this, and I couldn't help but let myself go, trying to focus on Mira petting my head. I had to admit it still felt nice, not just because it was helping but also because the one I loved was the one doing it. And she was my girlfriend to boot.

"I really do feel pretty lucky."

That was the last thought I had before I fell asleep.

A few hours later, the carriage stopped beside an open grassland to take a break and stretch our legs. There was a gentle breeze blowing through here that was enough to make the grass, the flowers, and the leaves of the trees dance and blow the clouds along across the blue sky.

Wendy, Lucy, Lisanna, Mirajane, and Carla were making flower crowns. Gray and Elfman were lounging by a boulder. I lay on the grass, staring up at the sky. Erza was busy sketching something in a notebook. As for Natsu, he lay on top of the boulder, still recoiling from his motion sickness, while Happy tried to comfort him.

"Aw, man! My guts are still tied up in knots!" Natsu complained with a groan.

"Would you stop being such a baby?" Gray sighed. "You're a complete mess."

"No kidding," gruffed Elfman. "Totally unmanly."

"Well, can you blame me?! I can't stand that rattling thing!" Natsu groaned. "All that moving and bumping around just slays my belly."

"If it's any consolation, I know how you feel," I said. "Although, this has only been my third or fourth time, so I can't imagine how many times you've been through this."

"Well, the road is pretty rough and bumpy," said Happy. "So I suppose it'll make almost anyone a little sick if you're not used to it."

"Don't worry. We'll be home before you know it, you two," said Lucy.

"And I'm feeling much better now," said Wendy. "So I should have some magic power in a couple of hours?."

"Well, when that happens, could you please make sure to hit me up with that spell of yours?" said Natsu.

"That goes double for me," I said while raising a hand.

"Sure, you got it," acknowledged Wendy with a smile in her voice.

"Say, Natsu, I got a question for you, pal," said Happy. "What are you going to do once we get back to Magnolia?"

"Take some jobs," decided Natsu. "And sign up for one that's exciting and pays a lot."

"I just want to fish all day and relax," was Happy's reply.

"You know, I think going on some more jobs with you would help me grow as a wizard, said Wendy.

"Same here," said Lisanna. "And I think I'll spend some more time with Sierri and Lapis."

"Me too," rumbled Elfman. "We were hardly able to spend any real time with her before the games even started."

"What about you, Lucy?" asked Wendy.

The blonde hummed in thought before giving her response. "Well, after everything with the Grand Magic Games and the Eclipse Gate, I'm feeling pretty inspired, so I think I see quite a bit of writing in my future."

"Oh, wow. I didn't know you were a writer, Lucy," said Lisanna. "That's a pretty nice hobby."

"What kind of story are you writing?" asked Wendy.

"Let's just say it's a secret one," replied Lucy.

"What about you, Willy?" asked Wendy. "Do you have any plans?"

"I bet I know," Lisanna teased cheekily. "And I'm pretty sure they all involve a certain someone."

"Well, to be honest, my answer's pretty much the same as everyone else," I said, trying not to be annoyed. "Although, I suppose I'm going to be a bit busier than usual in… certain regards."

I heard Lisanna snigger a bit while I pretended not to hear, knowing she was teasing. But her comment did make me start thinking.

"Now that I think about it, I'm not sure what I'll be doing once I get back to Magnolia. Sure, I can go out on jobs, but I'm Mira's boyfriend now. That means… I'll be spending a lot more time with her."

The thought of it made my cheeks heat up.

"Well, it's not like I have any issues with it, but… is this OK? Am I allowed to spend most of my time with her? And… how should I treat her from now on? The same as I've always been, or… should I act a bit more romantic from now on?"

I started picturing myself in the guildhall approaching Mira.

Mira turned to face Willy, who looked as cute and radiant as ever, her blue eyes glowing like sapphires and her white hair as pure as snow as she stood on the other side of the counter over at the bar.

"H-Hey, Mira," Willy greeted. "Sorry to keep you."

"It's no problem. I'm happy to see you," smiled Mira.

Willy then presented Mira with a bright white rose. "H-Here. I found this while I was out on a job," he said shyly. "I, um, got it for you."

"Awww. How sweet of you," Mira gushed as she took the rose. "I'm so glad that you thought of me. You're such a sweet boyfriend."

They gazed at each other for a brief moment before Mira leaned in, and before Willy could react, she stole his lips in a gentle kiss.

When they did, two crowds of people swarmed around them. The first was of the other guild members from Fairy Tail, all of them whistling and cheering. The second was of other men and women who were all booed while glaring jealously.

"DAH!"

I promptly snapped out of my fantasy, sharply sitting up while my cheeks were burning with embarrassment.

"No way! There's no way I could ever do that!" I screeched in my thoughts. "If I did, the others would never let me live it down! I don't even think I'd have the guts to do something like that!"

Then, I felt a tap on my shoulder, causing me to look back. Just as I did, Mira placed a crown of flowers she had made right on top of my head.

"There you go," she said with a smile. "It looks cute on you."

"O-Oh, thank you," I said, trying not to stutter. "Where did you learn how to do this?"

"Back at Osia when I was little," Mira replied as she sat next to me. "It's actually pretty easy once you get the hang of it. So, mind telling me what's on your mind?"

"H-Huh? What makes you say that?" I asked.

"Come on, Willy. I can tell by looking at you," said Mira. "That, and it seems your magic is starting to recover, considering your wings have come out again."

I looked at my back, and sure enough, my wings were indeed out, causing me to sigh exasperatedly.

"All right, you got me," I conceded as I dispersed them. "I was just thinking about how everyone's going to react when we come home. You know, about us. And… I was also wondering about how I should act around you."

"Why would you be worried about that?" wondered Mira.

"Well… it's because… this is the first time that I've ever had a girlfriend," I mumbled while poking my fingers. "I'm… not quite sure how to act like a boyfriend? I mean, I pretty much don't know anything about romance or how to act romantic. I want to make sure I do this right without making a mistake, you know? Plus… I may be worried about what other people will think once they find out about us."

Mira chuckled lightly. "Aw, Willy. You shouldn't need to worry so much. Being in a relationship is pretty new to me, too, so if it's all the same to you, you don't have to treat me any differently. We can take it slow. And for another, you shouldn't have to worry about what other people think about us being together, accepting or not. Besides, no one has the right to tell you what you should or shouldn't do. Just be yourself and live how you want. That's what I've learned."

I stared at Mira for a few seconds, taking in her words. I felt moved under her gaze, her words easing my worries and concerns.

"You know, you always know just what to say," I said, a small smile growing on my lips. "I appreciate it. I'll say this much, people are definitely going to be talking once they find out about us going out."

"I'm not too worried about it," said Mira. "After all, I'm the girlfriend of a sweet, considerate, wonderful, and cute boyfriend. Let them talk."

I couldn't help but feel my cheeks go red upon hearing those words. "C-Cute? Me?" I stammered. "C-Come on, I'm not cute."

"Yes, you are," cooed Mira as she playfully leaned onto my shoulder. "The cutest in the whole world."

My cheeks burned even more as I felt my heart hammer wildly in my chest as my water wings sprung forth from my back again.

"Seriously! This woman's going to make me explode into a geyser!"

After a while, we resumed our journey.

Thanks to Wendy casting her Troia spell on me, I didn't feel motion sick. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for Natsu, who was once again sicker than a dog.

"My tummy hates me!" the fire dragon slayer moaned sickily.

"I'm sorry. It's my fault," Wendy apologized tearfully. "It's because the Troia spell gets less and less effective the more times I've used it on someone."

"Well, that can't be helped," huffed Carla in annoyance. "So why don't you just give it up?"

"Seriously," Gray agreed while looking at Natsu from across. "All that moaning and groaning is making it hard to take a nap."

"I guess I should count myself lucky that this is the first time that spell's been cast on me," I said. "I got to say it definitely does the trick. I'm feeling great. But… I still can't help but feel sorry for the poor guy."

"Then you'd better make sure to have Wendy use it on you sparingly," said Mira. "It could come in handy someday."

I looked out the window of the carriage, taking in the sight of the grassland slowly passing by. "I can't wait to get back home," I thought with a smile. "I'm feeling excited while also feeling homesick."

Then, as the carriage continued along, I noticed someone walking along on the side of the dirt road all by themselves. It was a little old lady in a purple dress. As soon as I saw her, I began to get a strange sense of deja vu, like I'd seen her somewhere before, but I couldn't think of where.

Suddenly, Gray shot up from his seat and shouted.

"HEY, STOP! STOP THE CARRIAGE!"

"Is something wrong, Gray?" asked Erza.

"Yeah, what's up, dude?" wondered Elfman. "You're looking a bit spooked."

Gray seemed to hesitate briefly, looking outside of the carriage before sitting back down.

"Nothing. N-Never mind. Sorry."

From then on, Gray stayed silent throughout, making me wonder what caused his outburst in the first place. Then, I thought about the old woman we passed.

"I wonder if he had the same feeling about her as I did?"

Before long, we finally arrived in Magnolia, and when we did, there was a big surprise waiting for us.

The streets were decorated with banners and balloons, and confetti was raining down seemingly everywhere. They were also packed and lined with people who were cheering for us as we walked along. I couldn't help but be amazed and excited as I smiled from cheek to cheek.

"Wow! This is quite the welcome!" I couldn't help but say. "I've never seen so many people here."

"I know, this is really quite the surprise," said Mira.

Then, I heard a couple voices belonging to some males in the crowd.

"Hey, Mira, you were awesome in the games!"

"You're the only one for me!"

Mira waved at them as she smiled sweetly. "Aw, thank you very much!" she called back.

At first, my jealousy briefly flickered, but then I brushed it off, knowing that it wasn't a big deal. After all, I was Mira's boyfriend, and there wasn't a reason to be green-eyed.

At that moment, I noticed some girls waving at me while squealing with excitement.

"It's him! Willy Falconer! The Crocus Battle Fighter's champion!"

"He's even cooler looking in person!"

"Way to go, Willy! You were so cool!"

I could only wave at them politely, feeling surprised from receiving such attention. "Thank you kindly," I said back at them. "I appreciate the support."

Some guys were talking about me, too.

"Hey! Check it out! It's Willy Falconer! He was able to beat Orga Nanagear!"

"And he took on The Drunken Falcon, Bacchus!"

I could only continue to wave and thank everyone who cheered for me while trying to be humble.

Then, Natsu came up to me and grabbed me by the hand. "Hey, Willy! Let's show off the symbols of our victories together!"

I couldn't help but smile, nodding in agreement. "Sounds good to me!"

Natsu then dug into his backpack and pulled out a large golden trophy while I took out my golden belt. The two of us then held them up high and proud as the crowd cheered even louder than before.

Then, a large, stout man in a yellow suit and purple cape with a plated chin stepped out from the crowd.

"Members of Fairy Tail, may I have your attention, please?" he addressed loudly. "The Mayor of Magnolia would like to present you all with a gift to mark this momentous occasion in honor of your victories!"

"A gift?" I repeated in surprise.

A tall man in a black suit then also stepped forth, clearing his throat importantly before speaking.

"Good members of Fairy Tail," the mayor said, gesturing his hand. "If you take a look to your right, you'll see your gift."

I did as the mayor asked, and my eyes went wide with wonder and surprise.

Standing a few feet away was the Fairy Tail guild hall. However, it looked like new, as if the seven-year time skip damage had never even happened. It even had a few additional flags and towers here and there.

"For years, you have been the pride of our city," continued the mayor. "That's why we are honored to present you with this! A newly restored guild hall!"

"It's even cooler than it used to be!" Natsu yelled out with joy.

I also couldn't help but feel joyful, the feeling spreading all throughout my body as I tried not to explode with excitement.

Makarov was so emotionally happy that he couldn't help but start bawling. "Thank you, Mayor! Your kindness knows no bounds!" he blubbered. He then sobbed proudly and loud enough for everyone to hear him. "I LOVE MAGNOLIA WITH ALL MY HEART!"

This declaration signaled another chorus of cheers and applause as every single guildmate and citizen heartily agreed with him.

Thank you very much for reading!

With this, the Grand Magic Games Arc has come to a close!

I hope to see you in the next chapter!

Dragomaster signing off!