Hello, everyone. Sorry for not updating. I needed a break from writing and organize my thoughts. But I'm proud to release the first chapter of the Grand Magic Games arc. I just had to write this as soon as possible.
Hope you like what you read.
Chapter 01: Invitation to Crocus
Heartfilia Residence – Cemetery
Yuya, Natsu, Happy, Naruto, Usagi, Ami, Rei, Makoto, Minako, Kuroko, Kagami, Tezuka, Issei, Irina, Kirito, Asuna, Yui, Leafa, Sinon, Mario, Luigi, Peach, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Saito, Tiffania, Inuyasha, Kagome, Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Zuko and Iroh all wore funeral garbs as they stood from their seats.
Approaching the new grave of Jude Heartfilia was his daughter, Lucy Heartfilia, she had a bouquet of flowers with her and he laid them on top of his grave.
"I still can't believe it…" Happy said. "How could seven years pass already?"
"It's probably related to why the gate to this universe was locked." Yuya said. "Mr. Wayne is doing an investigation, along with Mr. Allen. Hopefully, you'll get answers when we return to the Watchtower."
"Thank you all for coming." Lucy turned to her friends and they all sat down in their chairs. "My father and I didn't always have the best relationship. It was normal at first, but when my mother died, he changed and became distant. At first, I thought he didn't care about me, but now I realize that he was hurt and in pain of losing someone so dear to him. He worked hard just to make sure that I had a happy life, even though it wasn't the life that I wanted."
"The relationship turned to the worse when I ran away from home. He hired Phantom Lord to take me back and they almost destroyed Fairy Tail. I was done with him. But then he came to me for help and we took that first step towards rekindling our relationship." Lucy smiled. "I found out that he kept sending me birthday presents the whole seven years in this universe. He loved me, always."
Lucy took a piece of paper out of her pocket and opened it. "I wrote a eulogy and I would like you all to hear it." Lucy took a deep breath. "My precious Daddy, I thank you for bringing me into this life. Thanks to you, I've gotten the chance to be surrounded by amazing people that I can call my friends. I'm glad that you were able to understand and respect the path that I have chosen for myself. My only regret…is that I couldn't spend more time with you…" Lucy's voice started to shake. "There was so much…I…I…" Lucy trembled and tears fell down her face.
Natsu stood up from his chair and walked up to Lucy. He put his arm around her and held her paper. "I'll read it for you." Natsu said. Lucy nodded and wept into Natsu's chest and held on to him.
"There was so much I wanted to tell you." Natsu read Lucy's eulogy to her father. "But that can wait because now you're in a better place. You're with Mom and she was the glue that held all of us together. So don't worry about me, you enjoy reuniting with mother and I will tell you my story when it is my time to join you two. I'll continue to walk down the path that I believe in and I will live everyday to the fullest. I love you, Daddy. Say hi to Mommy for me. You're daughter, Lucky Lucy."
A few cries uttered from the group. Makoto lost both her parents when she was young so she knew what Lucy was going through. Yui held onto both of her parents' hands tight, not wanting to let them go. Peach wiped a tear from her eye since she doesn't even know her parents. Naruto was reliving the moment he met his father during his fight with Pain and shed a small tear and losing Jiraiya. Zuko looked down and wondered if his relationship with his own father would ever be fixed, but a small pat on the shoulder from Iroh assured him that no matter what, Iroh would always be there for him. Sokka and Katara were thinking about their own father and wanting to spend time with him now that the Hundred Year War was over.
Yuya stood up from his chair and turned to the group. "Let us pray for Jude and Layla Heartfilia, lovers reunited in the next world." Everyone stood up and put their hands together in prayer while Lucy continued to cry into Natsu's chest with Natsu holding her tight. Happy jumped into their arms and held them tight, not wanting to let them go.
Watchtower – Training Room (3 Days Later)
Lucy was doing some stretches in the training room. "Seven years had past in my world, during that time, other wizards have grown stronger while those that were on Tenrou Island were sealed away." Bruce Wayne explained to Natsu and Lucy about Fairy Sphere and that the magic was the reason why neither her, Natsu nor Happy were able to return to the Kingdom of Fiore.
"While we were gone, Fairy Tail descended from being the best guild in the world to the worst guild. Now that we're able to go back, Mr. Wayne gave us the choice to return to Fairy Tail, but the three of us refused. Besides, the Tenrou Island wizards could pick Fairy Tail back up again. For now, we still had to focus on the Dark Phoenix. I gave myself plenty of time to mourn the loss of my father, now it's time to get back into it."
"Are you ready for training?" Lucy turned around to see Wonder Woman.
"Yes, ma'am." Lucy stood up.
"Alright, let's get started." Wonder Woman took out her Lasso of Truth, while Lucy grabbed her keys.
"Open, Gate of the Golden Bull, Taurus!" Lucy summoned Taurus. Taurus charged at Wonder Woman with his axe.
"I hate do to this to a beautiful lady, but I won't hold back!" Taurus brought his axe down but Wonder Woman used her bracelets to deflect the axe. She then used her lasso to get between Taurus's legs and caught Lucy's wrist. Wonder Woman then tossed her to the wall hard.
"You need to focus, Lucy!" Wonder Woman scolded. "Don't just rely on your spirits to fight your battles!"
"Right!" Lucy stood up and her body glowed. "Star Dress: Taurus!" Lucy changed into her Taurus Star Dress and pulled out her whip. "Earth Wave!" Lucy slammed the ground hard, creating an earthquake, forcing Wonder Woman to jump.
"Taurus!" Lucy shouted.
"Moo!" Taurus roared and they both struck Wonder Woman in the air.
Wonder Woman skid backwards on the ground. "That's it, Lucy! Intimidate your opponent with strength!" Wonder Woman said.
"Right!" Lucy went to punch Diana again.
"Incorrect! Power alone doesn't mean anything if you can't reach your target!"
"Right!" Lucy changed into another Star Dress. "Star Dress: Cancer!" This time Lucy fought Diana in close combat and Taurus bided his time to strike when he could.
"Excellent, eye contact to communicate is the fastest way to coordinate your attacks!" Diana said. "Don't be afraid if your plan fails, learning from it and moving forward is a skill as well!"
In the waiting room, Natsu and Happy watched Lucy train. "Wow, Lucy is incredible." Happy said.
"Well of course. She's Lucy, after all." Natsu smiled with pride.
Lucy hunched over as sweat poured all over her body. "Thank you…for the training…" Lucy thanked.
"Your magic power has improved, but remember, magic only amplifies your raw strength. You need to increase your muscle training. Go to the weight room and lift 100 pounds on the bench press."
"Yes ma'am." Lucy ran to the weight room.
Diana felt a drop of sweat on her cheek. "She actually made me break a sweat and she's still so young." Diana smiled at the retreating Lucy. "She'll be a greater warrior than me some day. I look forward to it."
Watchtower – Cafeteria
After her weight training, Lucy went to the cafeteria and took a big bite our of a large steak. "Geez, ever heard of chewing, Lucy." Natsu joked as he and Happy ate across her.
"You're the last person to talk to me about table manners." Lucy pointed her fork at Natsu. "Though it's rare that you haven't finished your first plate yet." Lucy saw that Natsu barely touched his food. "Something wrong."
"Just thinking about our world." Natsu said. "Wondering how everyone is doing."
"We could always go back." Happy said. "We got permission to."
"Nah, they're alright. After all, gramps is back with them along with everyone else." Natsu said. "Even if they are the worst guild now, they'll climb their way back to the top without us."
"Yeah, you're right." Lucy smiled.
"How about you?" Natsu put his hand on top of Lucy's. "Are you doing, okay?"
"Yeah, I'm doing fine. I'm living my life the way Dad would want me to. And I'm not alone, I have you two with me and everyone else." Lucy gave a sweet smile.
"I see." Natsu smiled. The both looked at their hands before they both embarrassingly separated.
"You two are in love…" Happy teased.
"Shut up, cat." Lucy blushed.
From the other table, Inuyasha, Kagome, Issei, Irina, Makoto and Kagami watched them. "I'm glad Lucy's back to her normal self." Makoto said.
"Yeah." Kagome nodded. "Though, it's frustrating that we keep losing people that are important to us."
"No joke." Inuyasha spoke. "It's always good people that die too soon."
"And not all of us are lucky when it comes to reincarnation." Issei said. Irina put her hand over Issei's to comfort him.
"But like Lucy said, we got to live our lives to the fullest with no regrets." Kagami said. "We should follow her example, it's what those who died would have wanted."
"When did you become so philosophical?" Makoto teased.
"Just now." Kagami answered, making everyone laugh.
"All Guardians, report to my office." Bruce's voice was heard on the intercom.
Watchtower – Bruce Wayne's Office
"Good, you're all here. I have an announcement to make." Bruce said. "The King of Fiore has sent us an invitation to participate in this year's Grand Magic Games."
"The Grand Magic Games?" Natsu asked.
"And the King invited us himself?" Lucy asked.
"What are these games, Mr. Wayne?" Yuya asked.
"The Grand Magic Games is a tournament to determine the number one guild in the kingdom." Bruce said. "Guilds from all over the world come together to compete for that title. This is an opportunity for us to showcase our power and form an alliance with the kingdom to combat the Dark Phoenix."
"More allies do help us in the long run." Ami said.
"But if we're competing against guilds, that would mean we would have to face Fairy Tail." Asuna realized.
"Natsu, Lucy, Happy. You three don't have to participate with us. You're more than free to participate as members of Fairy Tail." Bruce said.
"Thanks, but we're staying with you guys." Natsu said.
"After all that we've been through, there's no way we're going to leave you guys." Lucy smiled.
"Aye!" Happy saluted.
"So, when do the games start?" Naruto asked.
"They start in three months." Bruce said. "You will still have missions to do for the Justice League, but we'll take time to train all of you for the games."
The three-month training was brutal to say the least, but everyone was doing everything they can to improve themselves. Some trained to improve their best affinities like Asuna, Sonic, and Aang training with Flash to improve their speed. Knuckles, Naruto, Issei, Tezuka and Kagami trained with Superman to improve their power. Others decided to train in conditions that would help them overcome their weaknesses, such as Natsu training underwater in Atlantis, Tiffania and Kuroko in a no magic zone. Bruce and Diana also gave combat classes to the group that would help them whether they were alone or with a team.
Kingdom of Fiore – Crocus
The people of Crocus were surprised to see a bus go through their streets. Inside were the Guardians, all dressed in professional suits, including the girls. "Whoa, so this is Crocus." Usagi looked out the window.
"It's like something out of a story book." Rei said.
"Hey, look at the flowers!" Yui pointed to the flowers. "They're so pretty."
"Make sense that they have the best flowers. It's known as the Flower Blooming Capital, after all." Lucy said.
"What are you looking at Mr. Wayne?" Yuya asked.
"It's a list of the guilds that will participating this year. The favorites among the group are Sabertooth, Lamia Scale and Blue Pegasus." Bruce said. "This year the rules state that the guild can choose any member of their guild to participate in the games so long as they don't compete consecutively. In other words, the larger the guild, the more options that are given to them."
"Compared to other guilds though, we are still kind of small." Tails said.
"There can be a thousand members but there is no strength in numbers." Knuckles said. "We have proven that when we faced Robotnik and his robots."
"Man, I'm really excited for the games." Sonic chuckled.
"You okay, bro?" Mario asked his brother.
"Just a little nervous." Luigi admitted. "These are tough wizards we're facing."
"Just be confident, and you'll be fine." Mario patted his brother's back.
"I'm kind of surprised you're here, Zuko. Don't you have Fire Lord duties to do?" Toph asked
"Uncle is taking care of that. But once the games are done, I'll be Fire Lord full time." Zuko answered.
"Then we better make the most of the time we have left." Toph punched Zuko's arm hard.
"Ow." Zuko winced.
"We're here, Master Wayne." Alfred stopped the bus.
"Okay, everyone, this is where we're staying." Bruce told them as everyone got off the bus. Their eyes widened as they were in front of a luxurious seven-star hotel.
"I can't believe you're renting this place for us, Mr. Wayne." Lucy said.
"Renting? I bought it." Bruce said, shocking everyone. "I will go register the team for the games. You're all allowed to roam around the city but return here by dinnertime."
"Yes sir!" Everyone spoke.
Crocus – Honey Bone Inn
"So, according to the rules, Master Makarov can pick any of us to participate in the games, but the first team of five must be submitted by 12:00 midnight." Levy read the rulebook.
"I wonder who he'll pick." Jet said.
"It doesn't help that we don't know what's going to happen by then." Gray said. "We won't even get a chance to prepare until the last minute."
"Either way, Master will choose the best members for the first team. I have no doubt in his confidence to choose." Erza showed pride.
"Not all games are the same though. They change it up every year." Droy said.
"Aw, Yui did a great job with the flower crowns."
"Aye."
"That's some daughter Kirito and Asuna have."
The Fairy Tail members looked up and they saw Natsu, Lucy and Happy walking by them. "Hey, it's almost dinnertime, we should head back." Lucy said.
"Sounds good to me, I'm starving." Natsu smiled.
"You're always hungry, Natsu." Happy said.
"No way…" Alzack's eyes widened.
"It's really them." Bisca gasped.
"Lu…" Levy teared up.
"Hey, Flame Brain!" Natsu turned and was met with a punch to the face. "About time you showed up damn it!" Gray yelled.
"Good to see you too, Gray." Natsu rubbed his cheek.
Lucy then felt a hand on her head and she yelped as Erza pulled her hard to her armor. "Lucy, I heard about your father, my condolences."
"Th-Thank you…" Lucy winced.
"Happy, I'm glad your okay." Wendy knelt down to the cat.
"Thanks, Wendy. Carla, did you miss me?" Happy asked with hope.
"Not that much." Carla shrugged, making Happy get sullen.
"Carla, don't tease him." Wendy scolded.
"I'm kidding, I did miss you too." Carla said, making Happy jump in joy.
"Where were you guys? We looked all over Tenrou Island but we couldn't find you or Yuya." Gray said.
"We got teleported at the last second before Fairy Sphere encompassed us." Lucy said.
"It surprised us when we came back and learned that seven years had passed. To us, it only felt like a few months." Happy said.
"Sorry, about Fairy Tail. It's now the worst guild in the world." Natsu apologized.
"Don't worry, with you guys back, we can take the title of best guild in Fiore back." Erza said. "Now let's go tell the Master—"
"We're already registered with another team." Natsu said.
"Huh? You're with another team?" Wendy asked.
"But why? You're Fairy Tail Wizards." Levy was shocked.
Natsu, Lucy and Happy showed their new marks that Bruce had given them. "After we got teleported, our Fairy Tail symbols disappeared." Happy said.
"We're now members of the Guardians of the Multiverse, a branch of the Justice League." Lucy said.
"And we're gonna beat you and all the other guilds." Natsu declared.
Honey Bone Inn – Main Bar
"What?!" Everyone in Fairy Tail exclaimed.
"Natsu, Lucy and Happy are competing against us?!" Lisanna shouted.
"What the hell?! Why would they turn their backs on us!" Cana got angry.
"That's not real manly, turning on your comrades!" Elfman argued.
"Heh, I don't see the big deal." Gajeel smirked. "This just means I have a chance to fight Salamander again. I'll get payback on him."
"I suppose that is a silver lining for you." Lily said.
"I don't see the big deal." Laxus didn't care. "If anything, this actually makes the games more exciting."
"You too, Laxus?!" Mirajane was shocked. "But they're our friends!"
"I can't believe Natsu is the enemy now." Romeo looked upset.
"This sucks." Macao complained.
"Now, now. We have to respect their decision." Makarov said.
"But Master…" Erza spoke.
"I'm sad that they are competing against us, but I've met the man who saved them when I registered Fairy Tail." Makarov said. "His name is Bruce Wayne and he gave all three of them the chance to come back to the guild, but they chose to stay with him. What those three are doing is obviously more important than our reason for joining the games. I'm sure it wasn't an easy decision for them to make, but we must respect their choice. And we can do that by taking them head on and giving our all in the games. I'm sure that's what they want as well."
"In that case, I won't hold back against Natsu. This time I'll show him what I really got." Gray said.
"Get in line, Salamander's mine." Gajeel shouted.
"I'm looking forward to see what he can do against me one on one." Laxus smirked.
"In that case, I'll go all out against them." Erza said.
"Lucy is now officially our rival. I won't lose to her!" Juvia shouted.
"Let's go, Fairy Tail! Let's take down Sabertooth and the Guardians and prove that we're number one!" Makarov rallied the guild.
"Yeah!" Everyone cheered.
Crocus – Guardians Hotel
"I see, so that's what happened." Yuya said when Natsu, Lucy and Happy told him what happened. "Well, either way, they were bound to know about you all sooner or later."
"So, who did Mr. Wayne pick for midnight?" Natsu asked.
Crocus – Midnight
When the clock struck 12. Bells rang throughout the capital and a large hologram of a small person wearing a pumpkin head appeared. "Attention all participants in this year's Grand Magic Games! Good morning!"
"To narrow down the one hundred fourteen guilds in this year's games to a more manageable eight, let's begin the preliminary round!" The pumpkin said.
"Wait are there really that many guilds?" Natsu asked.
"I don't know." Lucy shrugged her shoulders.
"Although the number of guilds increase and multiply each year. "The games have gotten boring now," is all I ever hear! "Let's whittle them down" I say to you! And give just eight a cheer! Who am I? I'm Mato, the mascot of the Grand Magic Games!" Mato introduced himself.
"The rules for this preliminary round are simple!" Suddenly, all of the hotels where each guild were staying at elevated to the sky.
"What's happening?" Tiffania held onto Saito.
"The whole inn is rising!" Saito saw all the inns rising.
"Now, you will all be participating in a race! 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!" Pathways were formed at the balcony of each inn. "You're free to use magic in any way you see fit! There are no restrictions! But remember, only the first eight teams to reach the finish line will clear this round!"
"However, all five team members must cross the goal for it to count! One more thing. We are not responsible for any loss of life that may occur in the labyrinth."
"That just got dark real fast." Aang said.
"So, without further ado, let the Grand Magic Games' preliminary round, Sky Labyrinth begin!" Mato finished the explanations.
"It appears the games have officially begun, Master Bruce." Alfred said.
"Yes, and those five will lead the charge." Bruce looked at the five members he chose.
"With my nose, we'll avoid any traps." Inuyasha brushed his nose.
"I'll find us the shortest path to the finish line." Yui used her AI power to create a mental map of the Labyrinth.
"I assist as well." Sailor Mercury had her goggles on.
"I-I'll do my best to support." Luigi had his Poltergust Vacuum on his back.
"Let's go, everyone!" Sinon had her sniper ready and the team charged into the Sky Labyrinth.
Fairy Tail
"Crap, why isn't Wendy back!" Gray shouted.
"This isn't good, without her we'll be disqualified." Erza said.
"Why wait for a little girl, when you have a real man here!" Elfman took charge and lifted Gray, Erza, Juvia and Levy with him.
"Lisanna, go and find Wendy! I'm worried that they might have run into trouble!" Erza shouted.
"I'll do what I can!" Lisanna shouted.
Sky Labyrinth
"Well, this is not what I was expected when he said maze." Sinon said.
"This reminds me of a painting I once saw in a museum." Sailor Mercury said.
"Yui, think you can make a map of the maze." Luigi asked.
"I did what I could, but I can't predict if the maze will change form." Yui said.
"Well, either way. We have to move. I smell more teams and they're setting up traps for others." Inuyasha sniffed the air.
"Just tell me where and I'll slow them down as we go." Sinon aimed with her rifle.
"I have a path, follow me!" Yui ran forward.
"Let's go single file! Inuyasha behind Yui, then Mercury, Luigi and myself!" Sinon gave the orders.
"Right!"
Yui did her best to keep them on the path to the finish but there were times where the maze would change. Thankfully, Sinon slowed down the competition by incapacitating them with her sniper.
"Okay, through here and—" Suddenly, the whole maze started to shift and Yui slipped and fell.
"Yui!" Sinon shouted.
Luigi quickly jumped and grabbed Yui before using his Poltergust to fire a plunger and hit the ceiling anchoring them. "I gotcha, Yui."
"Thank you, Mr. Luigi." Yui thanked.
"Hold on!" Inuyasha held onto an edge along with Mercury and Sinon. The whole maze just turned on its side. The group could see many wizards falling out of the maze, getting disqualified. After a while, the maze stopped moving.
"Man, that was close." Luigi said as he pulled himself and Yui back up.
"You guys, okay?" Mercury asked.
"Yeah." Luigi said. "We'll manage."
"That was pretty brave jumping headlong into danger." Sinon praised.
"Oh, uh, thanks. It's kind of my thing." Luigi said.
"Heh, well the maze changed so did our path to the goal change too?" Inuyasha asked.
"No, the path is the same, I can get us back on track. Can you find it again, Mercury." Yui said.
"Yes." Sailor Mercury used her goggles to find the path. "There."
"Uh, what are those guys doing?" Luigi pointed to where Fairy Tail was at. They were beating random guild members left and right.
"I guess they decided to narrow down the competition their own way." Sinon said.
"Forget them, let's get to the finish line." Inuyasha shrugged them off.
"Follow me." Yui gestured the group to follow.
The group followed Yui up to where they were on a pathway with a forest above them. "Okay, we need to wait for the labyrinth to turn again to move forward."
"It's too bad my Poltergust can't reach that high." Luigi said.
"3…2…1…" Mercury counted and the maze turned again and they were able to reach the forest. "The interval of tilting is about 120 seconds."
"Man, your brain is awesome." Inuyasha said.
"Okay, everyone it's just a straight path across this winding road!" Yui pointed to a narrow road.
"Let's sprint!" Sinon shouted.
"Yeah!" All five of them ran as fast as they could and after climbing up a few flights of stairs, they reached the exit where Mato waited for them.
"Half Demon Inuyasha. Yui Kirigaya-Yuuki. Ami Mizuno, Luigi Mario and Sinon Asada! Congratulations, Team Guardians, you are the first team to reach the goal!" Mato applauded.
"Really? We're first?" Luigi asked.
"Yes, you even beat last year's winner Sabertooth. Oh, the king was right to invite you to the Grand Magic Games, I can't wait to see what you and the others will do in the actual games." Mato said.
Guardians Hotel
"Well done, you five. We have secured our place in the Grand Magic Games." Bruce praised the five participants.
"That maze was a little scary." Luigi said.
"Luigi, thanks for saving Yui. We're really grateful." Asuna thanked.
"Oh, uh, no problem." Luigi said.
"Good for you, bro." Mario praised his brother.
"This was just the preliminary round. I wonder who the other teams will make it." Ami wondered.
"Hey, where are Natsu and Lucy?" Inuyasha didn't see them.
"They both stepped out to do more sightseeing." Kagome answered.
Crocus – Outside Royal Palace
"Attention everyone! The Preliminary Round of the Grand Magic Games: The Sky Labyrinth has ended!" Mato announced. "If you want to know who made it through, you'll just have to wait and see at the opening ceremonies!"
Lucy's cellphone went off and she checked her messages. "They made it through and they were the first to finish."
"I never doubted them for a second." Natsu smiled. "Still, I wonder who else passed?"
"Well, you can bet Sabertooth and Fairy Tail would pass. Then there's Lamia Scale and Blue Pegasus. That's a total of five including us. The other three, I don't know." Lucy counted with her fingers.
"We'll find out tomorrow." Natsu said.
"We need help! Please!"
Natsu and Lucy heard a familiar voice and they saw Lisanna shouting for help. In her arms was Wendy and Carla, both passed out.
"Wendy!" Natsu quickly ran to them with Lucy behind them.
"Please help!" Lisanna cried out.
"Lisanna!" Natsu stopped in front of her. "What happened? Is she okay?"
"I don't know. I found her like this." Lisanna said. "But she's completely drained of magic power. She was supposed to be in the preliminary round but luckily my brother took her spot."
"Wendy, can you hear me?" Lucy asked but Wendy didn't respond. "Do you think this was sabotage by another team?"
"Maybe, but who." Natsu wondered.
Domus Flau – The Next Day
The next day, celebrations happened around Domus Flau for the beginning of the Grand Magic Games. The stands were full of spectators waiting to see the action.
"The big day is finally here, folks! The Grand Magic Games will be getting underway shortly! This is going to be a year to remember!" The MC of the games, Chapati, announced.
Domus Flau – Guardians Locker Room
"Man, can you hear that audience cheer." Naruto said.
"Well, this is a competition against wizards from all over the country. What else did you expect?" Yuya said.
"I like the uniforms Mr. Wayne provided." Usagi liked that their uniform was a black jersey jackets with yellow stripes that went from the collar down. They had black pants with a yellow stripe on the sides of the legs and white shoes. On the side shoulder was the symbol of the Guardians, a large knight shield with two swords crossed in front of it. Their jackets also had their last names written on the back.
"Yeah, they're very practical." Irina agreed. Underneath the females' jerseys and pants were polo shirts with their name written on the back and black skirts over black shorts."
"This is more comfortable than my school's jersey." Tezuka admitted. The boys had the same polo shirts with shorts underneath their warmup pants as well.
Natsu was looking upset. "Hey, still thinking about Wendy?" Lucy approached him.
"Yeah…I'm worried about her." Natsu said.
"I understand. Since you have so much in common, it doesn't surprise me that you treat like a little sister." Lucy said. "But you have to focus, now. You're the Team Captain and everyone will be looking at you for guidance."
"I don't know why he picked me. Yuya, Tezuka, Zuko, even Usagi are more of the leader types than I am." Natsu said.
"It is time." Alfred came to pick up the group.
Fairy Tail
"Do you think the ones that attacked Wendy and Carla are competing in this tournament?" Lisanna wondered.
"There's a high possibility." Mirajane said.
"They probably did it to weaken us." Gray was upset.
"Keep your eyes on the prize for now. Winning this thing is the best way to get revenge for Wendy." Elfman said.
"I'm looking forward to taking them all down." Gajeel smirked.
"Today is the downfall of Sabertooth's reign." Laxus said.
"It's time, my children." Makarov said.
Domus Flau
"We're just moments away from the start of the Grand Magic Games, folks! I'm lead commentator…Chapati Lola, and I'll be handling the play-by-play while former council member Yajima provides commentary! Mr. Yajima. Glad to have you with us sir." Chapati spoke.
"Glad to be here." Yajima said.
"And let's not forget our special guest, a member of Blue Pegasus and current holder of the title "Miss Fiore" the ravishing Jenny Realight!" Chapati introduced.
"Blue Pegasus is bringing home the gold this year!" Jenny cheered for her guild.
"Now! The time has come to meet our competitors! First up, in 8th place, an old school bunch of wild wizards from Magnolia! They had luck in the prelims, and now they're raring to take back first place by force! It's Fairy Tail!" All of Fairy Tail walked out of the gate and into the coliseum.
But instead of getting cheers, they got jeers. "What the hell?" Gray complained.
"Why are they booing us?" Levy was a little unnerved.
"Who would have thought they'd make it this far after losing every year? Securing a spot in the prelims was no small feat for them. Will the Tenrou Team's sensational return help Fairy Tail become Fiore's greatest guild?" Chapati commentated.
"I'm proud of them." Yajima gave Fairy Tail a thumb up. "Way to go, kiddos! Now get out there and show 'em what you can do."
"Don't let the jeers get you down! Fairy Tail is Number One!" All of Fairy Tail was surprised to see Mavis appear suddenly besides Makarov.
"Master Mavis, what are you doing here?" Makarov asked.
"What else? I came to cheer you on, silly! There was no way I was gonna stay on Tenrou Island and miss this." Mavis smiled.
"Next up, the team that came in 7th place in the prelims, the rowdy army of hellhounds. Quatro Cerberus!" Wild men entered the arena.
"Let's get wild, ya hear me!"
"Yeah!"
"I expect a win this year, fellas." Goldmine, the master of Quatro Cerberus watched.
"And coming in 6th is a guild filled to the brim with the fairer sex! The dancers of the great, blue sea. Mermaid Heel!" A guild full of girls entered the arena.
"In 5th place, with azure wings that glimmer in the darkness, it's Blue Pegasus!" Ichiya appeared with the Trimens and a big blue rabbit and the rest of the handsome and beautiful bunch.
"Hey guys! Do your best!" Jenny cheered.
"Next in 4th place! The goddess of love and strife! The sacred destroyer! Lamia Scale!" Lyon, Jura and the other members entered the arena.
"Why'd you only come in fourth place, huh? I thought I told you kids not to hold back!" Lamia Scale's master, an old lady got upset.
"Yeah, sorry about that, old hag. I wasn't watching where I was going." The small girl tripped on her own feet.
"Never seen her before." Erza said.
"She's like the small version of Sherry." Gray commented.
"Please try to stay on your feet." Lyon scolded.
"No promises, Lyon." The girl answered.
"This is Shelia; she's one of Sherry's cousins." Yuka explained.
"And she's crazy strong too." Toby added.
"Gray, you better not have forgotten our agreement." Lyon said. "If we win, Juvia becomes a member of Lamia Scale."
"Last time I checked, I never agreed to that bet." Gray said. "Not that it matters, 'cause you guys're gonna lose."
"Then, if we win, I'll take Miss Erza as my one and only." Ichiya snuck his way to Fairy Tail.
"You'll do no such thing, you troll!" Erza yelled.
"Your parfum is like candy to my nostrils." Ichiya sniffed.
"And I'll take you, I guess. Not that I'm into you or anything like that." Ren went to Lisanna.
"Get your hands off my sister!" Elfman roared.
"Then, I'll take you Levy." Eve went to Levy.
"You want to say that again." Gajeel glared.
"Hey boss! If we lose, I wanna be given to this guild!" Hibiki pointed to Mermaid Heel.
"Man, I was gonna call dibs!" Toby complained.
"Now to introduce our 3rd place contestants!" Chapati continued. "What a shocker! Swooping in from a midnight dreary, this dark and gloomy bunch are making their debut in this year's games. Give it up for Raven Tail!" Raven Tail entered the arena.
"Uh oh…" Gajeel sweated. "My cover's blown."
"It was only a matter of time, Gajeel." Makarov glared at them, specifically the leader.
"Hello, father…" Ivan looked at Makarov and then Laxus. "Son."
"Hey, deadbeat." Laxus glared.
"I can't believe they allowed you to enter…" Makarov glared.
"Well. Their records appear to be in order." Chapati read papers. "They're an old guild. Official sources state they've been active over seven years, but they were only recently approved for official guild status by the Magic Council."
"If they have official status, then they're technically not a dark guild and are, therefore, eligible to compete." Yajima stated.
"By the way Fairy Tail, I hope you enjoyed the gift I sent you." Ivan said.
"Gift?" Makarov questioned.
"The magic from the girl and the cat was quite delicious." Alexei spoke.
"Ivan…" Makarov glared and so did the rest of Fairy Tail.
"Hold on! We still have two teams that made it through the qualifying round!" Chapati broke the tension.
"I think we have a good idea who they are." Macao said.
"Yeah, it's gotta be Sabertooth and them." Erza knew who was left.
"The runner-up in the preliminary rounds is last year's Grand Magic Games winner, the number one guild in all of Fiore, Sabertooth!" Chapati announced. Everyone in the audience cheered as the Sabertooth guild entered the arena.
However, the guild was not happy, they didn't care about the audience cheering for them. In fact, they were disgusted the whole time they walked into the arena.
"They're upset." Juvia said.
"Their pride has been wounded." Erza said. "Coming in 2nd in the preliminaries isn't a good sign, especially when you're the previous champion."
"What are you looking at?" Gajeel asked when he saw Rouge look at him.
"Nothing important." Rouge said.
Sting looked at Fairy Tail and he looked disappointed. "Fairy Tail isn't worth it Rogue."
"What'd you say?" Gray got upset.
"And now, the guild that came in 1st place in the preliminary rounds! It's a guild that was personally invited to participate by the King of Fiore himself! Ladies and gentlemen, let us welcome Team Guardians!" Chapati announced.
The Guardians entered the arena as everyone was silent. Not even the audience cheered since they didn't know the Guardians.
"There you are…" Sting smirked as his eyes laid on Natsu.
"Am I supposed to know you?" Natsu questioned, this made Sting twitch a little.
"According to this, this guild has members from different parts of the multiverse. What kind of magic should we expect from them?" Chapati wondered.
"It would be something out of this world." Yajima chuckled.
"Well, we've kept everyone waiting so let's show the schedule of the Grand Magic Games!" A huge stone burst from the ground revealing the schedule. "From Days 1 to 3, there will be a contest in the morning. Participants will then be ranked from 1st to 8th place! The teams will be awarded points based on how they ranked in the contest. Additionally, teams will be allowed to pick which of their members they want to compete. But keep in mind, some events may require multiple members."
"I guess that explains why they're allowing their whole guild to participate in games." Yuya commented.
"After then in the afternoon, there will be battles! These bouts should come as quite a treat to all you loyal fans since it was your suggestions that created these matchups!" Chapati commented.
"So, we don't even get a choice if we're selected." Tails said.
"I thought we weren't allowed to participate consecutively." Katara said.
"For those of you confused, guild members cannot consecutively compete in events. In other words, those who competed in the preliminary event are unable to be a part of the event in Day 1's event." Chapati explained.
"However, each guild that passed in the preliminaries received a yellow card." Yajima showed a yellow card. "This card allows you to use a member that was in the preliminaries to compete in Day 1's event. That being said, if you choose not to use it, the card becomes invalid."
"As for the rules of battle, each team will square off as shown here! The winning team gets 10 points, while the losing teams get jack squat! In the case of a draw, both teams will be awarded five points." Chapati explained.
"Now, let us begin the Grand Magic Games with the first contest known as Hidden." Chapati announced the event. "Teams, you have a moment to decide whether or not to use your yellow card to have a preliminary team member take part."
"We use our yellow card!" Yeager of Quatro Cerberus held up his card.
"The first contestant representing Quatro Cerberus, Yeager!" Chapati announced.
"The first round is easy! I'll go!" Beth Vanderwood held up the Yellow Card.
"From Mermaid Heel, the adorable Beth Vanderwood!" Chapati announced.
"Go, Nalpudding." Ivan ordered.
"I won't let you down, boss." Nalpudding held up the Yellow Card.
"From Raven Tail, Nalpudding!" Chapati announced.
"I'll take this one!" Eve showed the Yellow Card.
"Blue Pegasus sends out Eve Tilm! Gotta love those lovely cheers!" Chapati said as girls cheered for him.
"I shall handle this! I'm feeling inspired by the birds' lovely songs." Rufus removed his hat.
"Keep your eyes on this one, folks! From Sabertooth, the minstrel who sings to the red moon: Rufus Lore!" The audience cheered for Rufus.
"The name has to be a clue. I'm guessing stealth will be essential to win." Erza said.
"If only Wendy wasn't out of commission. She'd be perfect." Mirajane said.
"Sounds like in this game the smaller you are the better, so that means it's down to me or Yuka." Shellia said.
"Who are you calling small?" Yuka glared.
"No, I'll go first. We shall take the lead from the start. Just leave it to me." Lyon declared as he held up the Yellow Card.
"From Lamia Scale, Lyon Vastia!"
"Oh yeah. In that case, I got this one." Gray said. "I've been itching to see what this tournament's all about." Gray held up the card.
"Go win this round my love!" Juvia cheered.
"From Fairy Tail, the icy Gray Fullbuster!"
"Looks like the teams have used their Yellow Cards to use a member in the preliminaries." Yajima said. "Will Team Guardians do the same."
"The first round is important; it would make sense to use a member in the preliminary since everyone sent their strongest first." Erza said.
"We have decided to forfeit the Yellow Card." Natsu said, surprising everyone.
"Whoa, Team Guardians made a bold declaration of not using the Yellow Card!" Chapati commentated.
"If it's hidden, then there's only one person that's perfect for this." Makoto smiled.
"Of course, this event was made for him." Sinon smiled.
"Go out and there and win this for us." Kagami smirked.
"Who are they talking to?" Gray was confused.
"I haven't fathomed a clue." Lyon said.
"Who are they sending?" Beth looked around.
"Hello, I'm participating." Everyone in the whole arena jumped in shock as Kuroko raised his hand.
"How long have you been there?" Rufus asked.
"I've been here the whole time." Kuroko said.
"Impossible, I would have recalled you being here." Rufus said.
"How can you recall an event that just happened now?" Kuroko asked.
"Uh…well…" Rufus couldn't answer that question.
"Whoa, I didn't even notice him there." Chapati said. "Um, competing for Team Guardians, Tetsuya Kuroko!"
"The competitors have been chosen and the long wait is over! Grab a refreshment and get glued to your seat, 'cause you're not gonna want to miss a single nail-biting moment of Hidden!" Chapati announced.
And here is the start of the Grand Magic Games Arc. What did you all think of this chapter. I know in Fairy Tail they cast a spell to help wizard with motion sickness and fear of heights, but I removed it here so I can showcase Luigi's bravery.
Are you all excited to see Day 1 of the Grand Magic Games? Look forward to it and leave a review.
Preview: The Grand Magic Games starts with Hidden. Kuroko is chosen to compete in it using his misdirection. However, Rufus of Sabertooth attempts to target and discover the secret to his misdirection. Gray also decides to target Kuroko, but he becomes a target as well. Will Kuroko outsmart Rufus? Will Gray stop being a target? And who will be chosen for the battle round?
Next Time: Misdirection vs Memory-Make Magic