Felicity had a suitcase that she could hang over her shoulder. She didn't have much, just seven different shirts, underwear, and shorts. She already had her boots, and was just fine with the only three bras she owned.

Zailo packed everything. Almost everything that is.

He didn't bring the mattress, or the microwave, but just about everything else.

"The hotel rooms are split up by fours." Felicity examined the form that Layla had passed her. Two names were already written on the form: Layla and Elwin.

"Elwin...can't put a face to the name." Felicity muttered, scratching her head lightly.

"White hair, he was the horse in Snow White." As the words spilled from Layla's lips, Felicity realized who the man was.

"So why'd you give this to me?" Felicity waved the paper in her hand lightly, not sure what to do with it.

"To put your name on." Layla shrugged casually. "I wanna room with you."

"Oh!" Felicity croaked, her worst running over her mouth to conceal her glee. She was happy Layla wanted her as a roommate. The two had been chatting for some time, but now it seemed as though they'd become friends.

"Generally I'd be with Xavier and Ezzie, but all the people in the games are rooming together. So I needed someone else."

Her excitement deflated, and she just chuckled to the discovery that she was second choice. "So can Zailo come?"

"Of course." Layla nodded.

"He's kinda hard to live with." This was true.

"You're worth it." She shrugged, not making much of the compliment. Felicity grabbed a pen, then scribbled her name and Zailo's down.

As Layla watched, she rose an eyebrow.

"Why didn't you write either of your last names?"

Felicity sighed. "It's a long story why I don't write my last name...but, I actually don't know Zailo's last name."

"What--" she shook her head in disbelief. "You've been living together for over a month--"

"I know that." Felicity groaned. "It's never come up. If I asked he'd tell me. It's not a secret, it's just never come up."

"It's okay, I don't need your last name. We haven't exactly got another Zailo and Felicity in the guild."

Felicity smiled with a nod. "Alright then."

"But I expect to hear that story of your's when we get to Crocus, about your last name."

Felicity groaned, smiling faintly. "Sure, I'll tell you, I guess. "

Everyone was traveling to Crocus by train, and the ride would be a long one. They were traveling across half the country on one day, and most were less than excited.

Hence, the dragon slayers.

Layla was perhaps the only dragon slayer who could stand to sit on a train and not toss her cookies. Every other dragon slayer was on the verge of death through the entire ride.

Layla always boasted her ability to avoid motion sickness, but everyone continued to warn her that it was just a matter of time.

Zailo and Felicity sat side by side on the train, sitting across from Layla and Elwin in the booth.

There was a lingering silence for the first twenty minutes of the trip. Then Layla asked.

"How'd you two begin living together?"

Felicity shrugged. "We just did. I couldn't afford a place on my own, and neither could Zailo. We were tired of camping out in the woods so we got this really old, creepy place."

"How'd you meet?" Elwin was interested.

"He got me fired at the restaurant I worked at."

Zailo groaned, "You quit."

"No I didn't." Felicity growled. "And what the heck was with you immediately alluding to my flat chest. Like, that was literally the first thing you said to me."

"What, I was flirting with you?"

Felicity paused, her mouth shutting tightly and quickly. She wasn't sure how to take it. Was he  showing interest in her? In his own odd way? "Flirting?"

"Yeah."

"You were flirting."

"Yeah."

As she recalled the terrible first encounter the two endured, she could only say one thing. "Who the cabbage flirts like that?!"

"What? You were really cute. And whenever you dropped your pen, you'd bend all the way down and I could see your underwear. I wanted to say something memorable when you asked for my order."

Her eyes closed with a sigh, then she shook her head with a smile. As her eyes opened, she saw him sitting right beside her with this unconcealed smile. He tried to keep a straight face, and play himself off as serious, but he was failing. "Did you expect to start living with me a week later?"

Zailo shrugged. "I had a short fantasy where I married you."

She puckered her lips and tilted her head to the side lightly. "Oh, how'd that go?"

"You murdered me with a coat hanger."

"That's probably how to would've ended."

"Yeah, I thought you'd be all yandere, ya know? But you turned out to be super tsundere."

"No. I refuse. I am not tsundere." Felicity crossed her arms, shaking her head continuously in denial of the accusation.

Zailo shook his head, making a face that bled sorry, no sorry in a painful fashion. "Yeah, you're a yandere tsundere. You're sweet, then evil, then sweet again, and probably evil under that sweetness. You're a hot mess."

Layla nodded, agreeing with the argument Zailo had presented. "I agree with Zailo. I honestly got that exact impression of you."

"I'm not evil! I'm sarcastic--"

Elwin inhaled in a sharp hiss. "There isn't really a difference kid."

Jude awoke to Nashi shaking him violently. He groaned in annoyance to the movement as the words "train" swallowed him whole.

"Fine Nashi..." He'd been on an impossible schedule for the past 3 months. That is 3 months for him, for the rest of the world, only a week had passed. "I'll get up and train."

"No--not that train!" Nashi slapped her hand against the back of Jude's head, he snapped awake to find he wasn't even in the place they'd been training all that time. He looked up and saw the sun, he looked down, and saw he was on Nashi's back. And she was running. Very fast.

"What the--" He was shocked into full awareness of the situation. He was atop Nashi, who was holding onto him for dear life in the pursuit of a train.

"Run on your own kiddo!" She dropped Jude with little warning, giving him only a moment to get his legs moving to meet Nashi's now quickening pace.

A train was speeding by them, the one right outside of Pride. They ran parallel to the tracks, trying to catch up to the train.

"I thought you said we had tickets or something!" Jude shouted, his breath hitching as he ran.

"I did--" Nashi groveled in her own agony, worn from carrying Jude's weight for so long at such a high speed. "Gosh--it's REALLY hard to keep track of time in there! I think we spent about an extra day in there--well--day for us. It was about two hours outside!"

"What!! Seriously?!"

"Time was really important! You got three months of training in a week! Do you think I'd risk stepping outside to check the time?! The math was so...so confusing..." Her head hurt just from thinking of all the terrible calculations that she had to have Gideon make to organize this training trip.

Her hand latched onto the handle of the cargo cart, then onto Jude's. The door slid open to her grasp, causing her a quick stumble. She quickly slung Jude into the car, letting him slam into the boxcar in a painful fashion.

The motion sickness overcame him the moment he landed onto the floor of the car, and he had wished he were running along side the train instead. Nashi pulled herself in, conquering the sinking feeling long enough to make it into the car.

She pushed the door shut, and fell flat onto her back.

"Alright...now we just need to suffer for the next 12 hours...then we'll be at Crocus with the rest."

"12...?" Jude wept internally as he imagined simply sitting the boxcar in pain with nothing to do.

Nashi smiled, rolling onto her stomach and slinging her bag off into her grasp. She pulled out two bottles, sliding the second over to Jude quickly.

"Drink it, we'll be knocked out for most of the ride this way."

Jude was hesitant to grasp onto the bottle, but he watched Nashi unscrew the bottle in a hurry, anxious to sleep through the agonizing trip they were soon to fall into.

The liquid fell down his throat quickly, and he looked over to Nashi, who was already drifting into a well deserved rest.

"Thanks Nashi." Jude yawned, feeling the potion kick in. "For having me be apart of the games."

She didn't say anything, and instead just smiled with her eyes shut.

Liddan was struggling on the train ride, feeling to sick to deal with the loud people on the train, he slipped into the back where no one else was. Surrounded by crates filled with who knows what, he tried to fall asleep and ignore the rough banging of the train car that awoke him on and on again.

"Liddan?"

He opened his eyes, looking up slowly to Melody. She approached him cautiously, as though he were made of glass and easily broken.

"Oh," he croaked. "Hey."

"Is these anything you need?" She sat down on her knees, concerned for the man before her. "I can find you some water or food."

"A gun would be nice..." He chuckled, scratching his head. "Thanks Mel, but I just gotta suffer through it."

Melody was about to say something when the door suddenly slid open. Felicity and Zailo were the ones to step through.

"Oh!" Felicity lit up at the sight of Liddan, a tight grin forming on her lips. "Liddan, so you're here?"

He nodded, his hand clapping over his mouth to hold it what felt like vomit. He groaned in misery. "Let me just run along side the train..."

"He's got motion sickness," Zailo hissed, realizing how dire the situation was for Liddan. "I hear ginger ale helps that."

"Yes--anything!" Liddan gasped for breath, rolling his head against the wall of the train car. "Please, I'm dying!!"

"I'm sure we can find some in the freezer car." Felicity nodded. "I was getting hot anyway. Good way to cool off."

Melody smiled up to Felicity. "Would you?"

She looked down to the blue-haired woman. They'd met briefly, during Snow White, but not past that interaction. Was Melody close to Liddan?

"Yeah," she nodded with a light and fair shrug. "It's no problem." Her hand wrapped around Zailo's arm. She tugged, signaling for him to follow her.

They journeyed through several different cars, until the freezer car was finally at reach.

"Where are all the workers?" Zailo recalled the last time the two took a train ride. All the workers had seemed to disappear, and then demons attacked.

"The entire Fairy Tail guild is all on this train." Felicity sighed, using all her strength to pull open the door. "I think they're a bit busy.

The door swung open slowly, a mist sinking out of the freezer car. The two crept inside, shutting themselves in to the car.

It wasn't as cold as Felicity expected. It was hardly freezing, only mildly chilly.

"Okay, start digging." She instructed as she began to scan through all the boxes and crates in the car.

As they sifted through every container in the car, Felicity found herself irritated by the silence between the two.

"You were lying, weren't you?"

"Hmm?"

"About flirting," she pulled the top of a crate and peered down into it, "with me, when we met."

"How'd you know?" He chuckled, pulling out what looked like a bottle of beer, and opening it up.

As he passed it to Felicity, she nodded a silent thank you and pressed the bottle to her lips. "You're to forward for teasing. If you like something you say it. Like that waitress. She didn't have to guess if you were interested."

"I wasn't interested," Zailo pulled out his own bottle. "I just wanted to take a picture."

"Ha." She furrowed her eyebrows, turning around to try and return to the initial task.

As she sifted through the hoards of glasses, bottles, and so on, she suddenly thought of it.

"Hey, so I was talking with Layla."

Zailo sat up against the wall, drinking from his bottle. "Yeah?"

"And I was filling out the form for roommates." She shut the crate, moving onto the next. "And she thought it was odd I didn't fill it either of our last names."

Zailo remained silent not showing any sign of response. This was okay, since Felicity wasn't really looking at him anyway.

"Then I realized, I don't really know your last name. What is it?" She continued her search for a moment, waiting for an answer or a laugh. Something to fill the silence.

But he said nothing.

She swung her head around, scoffing to herself. "You're not even listening are you."

As her eyes fell on Zailo, she was surprised to see he seemed concentrated, his arms crossed and his attention on this nick in the wood by his feet. He fidgeted nervously, trying to avoid Felicity's gaze.

"Hey, are you okay?" She was quick to ask, crawling closer towards him and abandoning her initial goal.

"Yeah." He muttered out quickly. He swung his head up and smiled with a forced laugh. Zailo didn't want to cause some sort of panic, he knew how much Felicity worried. So he smiled and uncrossed his arms, crawling over to another crate to search for some ginger ale.

"Zailo, did you hear me?"

"Hear what?"

Felicity furrowed her eyebrows, beginning to feel frustrated and almost paranoid. "You're hiding something from me."

He didn't answer and continued to look into the crates, digging for Liddan's drink as an excuse to ignore Felicity.

"Zailo," Felicity laughed, "this is your last name. You're not telling me some big secret okay, why won't you tell me--"

"You wouldn't say yours." He spat out quickly. This was true, Felicity had made a huge fuss about saying her last name. "I mean, is it really that big of a deal? No, so why are you bugging me about it."

"Because you're hiding something from me, and I don't know why. If you don't want me to know your full name, fine, but can I get a reason? I mean, is it weird sounding? Embarrassing? Are you some escaped mental patient?"

He groaned. "No."

She fell back onto her heels, shaking her clenched fists in frustration. "Then why can't you just tell me?"

"Fine, tell me your last name."

Felicity sealed her lips tightly, dropping her head shyly.

"Actually," she spoke softly, in a whisper so no one would hear, "I don't have one."

It was odd, not having a last name. Last names were odd things. They were valuable, but at times overvalued. It never quite made sense why they were there, to increase the classification of a person's name, so we wouldn't have to put numbers after the names of every person with the same name. So you wouldn't end up being "Sam 243" or "Alexis 659".

Last names were odd, but represented heritage and family. Zailo's reasoning was in fact his family. He didn't use his surname because he didn't want to be correlated with his family.

Felicity, she just didn't have one.

"You...don't have a last name?" It was just strange. Not bad, just different.

"Yeah..." Felicity sighed, shrugging her shoulders. "I realized it was kinda weird when I left home. My mother never really gave me a last name, she just named me 'Felicity' because she always said I made her happy." She smiled with a gentle laugh. The memory of her mother was rather distant, but in a safe place that was easy to reach, and never left her with pain or sorrow. "I never got a last name, or I don't remember it..."

She felt embarrassed at the thought of actually having a last name, just not being able to remember it. Maybe one day she'll learn her real surname, and feel like a fool for forgetting it.

"I mean, when I lived on my own, and I was avoiding people, it was always kinda easy to just have no last name. I mean, it's actually really nice. You're harder to track. It was kinda cool." Felicity chuckled, shaking her head lightly. "Nonetheless, it's always been a bit awkward these days. I gotta sign the lease, but I don't have a name to put at the end. I need to make a bank account, just Felicity doesn't cut it."

She wore a pout on her face, annoyed by the true state of her name. It wasn't a deadly kind of secret, she'd never kill to contain it. It was simply tedious and somewhat unfortunate.

"Why not just make yourself a name?"

She groaned softly, shrugging. "I dunno, I figured I'd just get married and take my husband's."

"That'd work." Zailo shrugged, trying not to sound annoyed. He hated it when Felicity talked about marriage. In fact, he hated the idea of marriage altogether. "I guess."

"But whatever." Felicity opened up another crate, smiling with a faint laugh. "I just thought you ought to know, I mean, someone should."

Zailo watched Felicity continue sifting through the crates, and hold a private celebration as the ginger ale came into view. She pulled out several bottles and walked towards Zailo, as he was near the exit.

"Come on, Liddan really needs these."

He looked up at her, his blue eyes beaming as a smile grew on his face. Zailo lifted his hand, pointing to Felicity as he said, "Apple."

"What?" She almost laughed, it was so stupidly spontaneous.

"That should be your last name."

Her face scrunched up, in disbelief of the strange choice in name. "How?"

"Uh--" He hadn't thought about it that much. "I dunno, Felicity is a 'red' sounding name."

"I have white hair." Her extended finger pointed to her snow white hair. "I mean, something like 'white' seems more befitting."

"No." He shook his head. "Apple."

Felicity Apple was a funny sounding name. It an appealing ring to it.

"You're so weird," she said as she opened the door and left the car.

Nashi awoke in the dark train car, feeling still and calm. She'd managed to sleep through the entire ride, and didn't have to feel much motion sickness at all--other than the agony at the start of the trip.

She yawned, rolling her torso up quickly with a smile as she scratched her messy hair. Jude was beside her, as she left him, and still asleep. She looked around and found an eerie silence around her, much more quiet than she expected a train to be at a station.

There were just a few voices. They hissed lowly as they spoke, as though they didn't want to be heard.

Nashi stood up, approaching the door cautiously and sliding it open at a drastically slow rate. She peaked through the growing crack to see a small group of people are sitting atop crates and chatting.

They were a menacing bunch, and the man that seemed to be the center of attention stood there smoking a cigarette with his hands in his pockets.

He stood there, thinking for a moment until his hand slipped out of his pocket and wrapped around the cigarette between his teeth. As he pulled the poison from his lips, he blew out a long string of smoke.

"Alright." He nodded. "This is nothing more than an advertisement." His hand pointed at the five people that stood before him. "I have investors all in the audience, who will pay ten times the grand prize of this game to buy your services. But they'll only do that if you put on a good show."

He stepped forward, tapping the shoulder of one of the people in front of him. She was a young girl, and looked just about Jude's age. "If you want to continue being at the top, then you better work hard here."

"Come on," a white-haired man scoffed. He seemed outspoken, as he was very outspoken. "Who do you think we are?" Stood up off the crate he dwelt on moments before, patting the shoulder of the young girl the man had touched previously. "Don't tell me you doubt us Welch?"

Welch? She repeated the name in her head. Nashi wasn't sure where'd she heard it before.

She swung her head around, looking to Jude as he still slept peacefully. Diving towards him, she landed just beside his head. Nashi began to shake the younger brother awake.

He mumbled quietly in his sleep, something like, "No Molly...I'm no hero...but we can kiss anyway--"

"Jude!" She hissed as loud as she could without being heard.

"Wha--" His yelp was far louder than her's, and Nashi was quick to slam her hand over Jude's mouth.

They say for the first few seconds after you awaken, you forget absolutely everything. So having someone you can't identify as your sister quite yet shove their hand over your mouth to silence you is quite alarming.

He kicked for a moment, until he remembered everything that happened in his life, felt a bit sad, then regained the will to live as he remembered where he was.

"Are you done?"

"Yeah."

He swung his body up the moment Nashi released him, watching her crawl back to the door and peak out again.

His yelp had created a moment of silence in the group, where they stood patiently waiting for something else to happen.

They talk continued, and Nashi sighed in relief.

Without words, she looked to Jude and explained their plan with just her hands. They signed for countless actions, doing impossible things that only confused Jude.

"Cinder." The man spoke to the young girl again. "You seem agitated."

The silent girl, Cinder, nodded, her nostrils flaring with each animal like sniff she took of the air around her.

She hopped off the crate and walked over to the train car that sat in the storage room of the Train Station.

The others slowly began to follow Cinder as she approached the line of train cars they had been on just less than 20 minutes ago.

As she stepped towards the train, she took sniffs of the air, consuming its disgusting stench. Her hand rose, a finger pointing to the closed car as she looked to the others.

"What's she getting at?" The man groaned, annoyed with the sudden disturbance.

"She smells something." A girl explained. "Cinder's gotta wicked sense of smell."

"So," he steps past cinder, knocking his knuckles against the heavy train car's surface. "There's something in here?"

Cinder nodded in a silence. "Familiar," was all the child said.

The man sighed. He'd never been fond of the practically mute child. That aside, he slung the car door open, and as he expected, there was nothing inside.

Her eyes widened with surprised, as she was sure someone, or perhaps just something, was inside.

The man slid the car door shut again, then took a step towards Cinder. Without any warning, not even a flex of the expression on his face, his fist drove across her temple and knocked her back.

She let out a scream, that ended as fast as it began. Cinder stitched her lips shut as her hand fell over her sore and bruised temple. The man continued to walk past the girl, back towards the crates they had resided before, simply expected the rest to follow. His hands reached into his pockets, where he pulled out a white handkerchief and wiped the grime and stray splatter of blood of his fingers and knuckles.

"Now then." He turned around, smiling to the group of five relatively frightened people. "As I was saying."

Jude and Nashi ran very fast until they were far from the train station and somewhere in the middle of a Crocus street.

"What was that--some sketchy business deal?" Jude huffed out, out of breath from the run.

Nashi shook her head, also a bit worn, but less so. "I don't think so." She scratched her head, wiping a thin line of sweat off her brow. "I think they were a guild..."

"Wha--" Jude lifted his head, still heaving for breath. "Like--i--in the games?!"

"Well, I mean," she made this face as thought Jude were an idiot for not making the conclusion prior to her explanation. "We're in Crocus during the Grand Magic Games...why else would they be here?"

"Wait--we're gonna compete against them--" Jude suddenly panicked. In the three months of nonstop training he'd just cone through, it was just him and Nashi. Nashi was a stellar trainer, if Jude could manage to swallow his pride and confess his sister actually being good at something. She knew exactly what your potential was, and knew how to get you there. She helped you learn skills in combat that Jude had never previously fathomed. Nashi had even managed to teach him clever techniques against a wide range of different mages.

But she never pushed him past his limit. There was always this stopping point that Nashi would pull back at. These people, they wouldn't.

Nashi watched the child shake, and pat him roughly on the back.

"Hey, I'm sure you missed everyone." She chuckled, watching Jude lift his head with a now sore back. "Let's go see the guild!"

The train stopped harshly in Crocus, and everyone was ecstatic to finally be in the capital.

Liddan was dragged off the train by Lugi and Felicity, still sick from the terrible ride.

"Okay, okay." Felicity repeated, her arms sore from dragging Liddan off the train. "We're here, and we didn't die on the way."

Layla sighed, nodding her head as she slipped on a pair of sunglasses to hide her eyes from the harsh sun. "All I want to do is get in a room and take a nap."

"I like that plan." Felicity sighed. She turned to Zailo and set her arm son her hips. She'd be rooming with him--as usual--but with two people watching. She felt like she was about to enter a zoo, and she was the animal.

Layla looked around to notice that Nashi and Jude hadn't arrived, even though their train was scheduled to come the same time.

"Where's Nashi and Jude?" Layla asked Laxus as he tried to organize the buzzing guild.

He whipped his head down to Layla with a shrug. "Don't worry, they'll come soon enough."

Molly was also weary of Jude's absence and tried to contain panic as she sat beside Erza on a bench.

Her legs swung back and forth, and she twiddled her thumbs anxiously. Erza could tell much was on her mind.

"Molly dear," she patted the blonde child's head. "What's got you so flustered?"

She looked up with a forced smile. "Nothing much, I'm fine. Really." Molly tipped her head down, looking over to Layla, who peered down the train platform to find the one Nashi had claimed they'd ride on. "I just hope he isn't late."

Sylvie and Laurie had the most difficult time keeping their hands to themselves, I won't go much further than that.

Since their marriage, they've developed this wonderfully disgusting about of intimacy. While they always intend for it to remain private, it somehow always ends public. Sometimes even in their own home.

When they arrived at the hotel, they were so busy kissing as they pushed through the door to notice more than one bed was in the room.

Two queen beds were in the surprisingly large room, but they were much more concentrated on one another.

Laurie had picked Sylvie up and carried her to the bed, whispering sweet nothings between kisses.

"This is a nice room." Sylvie hummed.

"Yeah." He scrambled for his false leg, unstrapping the prosthetic anxiously as he fell onto the bed beside Sylvie. "Really nice."

"And it's all ours?" She smiled sinisterly, and Laurie anxiously tried to pull his shirt off.

"You bet--" then the door opened.

"Hey roomies!"

They swung their heads, looking at the two who arrived at the hotel room. There stood Natsu and Lucy, smiling as they peered through the open door.

Laurie and Sylvie looked at one another, then at Natsu and Lucy.

The older couple began to swagger into the room, and Laurie quickly shot up. "Wait, I thought we were just rooming alone?! I didn't think we'd be with two other people."

"Five." Lucy corrected, displaying the triplets that the two held in carriers.

"We thought you could use the guidance of two super experience parents!" Natsu laughed, patting Laurie's back. "And we're super experienced!"

"Plus, you could use some hands-on training." Lucy sighed in relief as she set down the single infant she held.

"Training?" Sylvie asked, lifting herself off the bed.

Suddenly three infants began to wail. All at once.

Lucy sighed, pulling one of her children from their carrier and beginning to rock them. "A little practice never hurt. Now pick up a baby and start cooing."

Laurie and Sylvie sat on their bed, having their romantic mood completely destroyed by three crying infants and two middle-aged parents. They each looked down to Sylvie's stomach, with a small child just beginning to fester and were suddenly and simultaneously overwhelmed with fear.

Jude was happy to arrive at the hotel, but he'd rather have arrived at home. After spending three tiring months with only his sister, he'd like nothing more than taking a nap under the tree in the woods where Molly, Rowen, Psycho, and even Gillian would come around to chat at. But instead he was in the middle of the buzzing city of Crocus. He'd but on several pounds of just muscle, and had grown about 2 inches. His hair was a tad bit longer too, but he knew the moment he was in sight of his mother she'd fix it.

Nashi looked no different. Fit as always, but eager to see her fiance. She slung her duffel bag over her shoulder, walking into the hotel as Jude struggled to keep up from the exhaustion he'd already faced in just that day alone.

How could she possibly have so much energy?

"We're here!" She announced as the moment she pushed open the door. Lucky for her, there weren't any other guests in the hotel. The entire place had been rented out by Fairy Tail. Still, Mirajane glared at her, smacking a finger over her lips as though she were speaking to a child.

Those in the hotel lobby all shot up to look upon the arriving Fairy Tail competitors. They weren't really interested in seeing Nashi as much as Jude, as they already knew she was plenty prepared for the games.

But when they laid eyes on Jude, they were in shock.

Upon a single look, they didn't recognize him for all the meat he'd taken on. How could he have grown so much in a single week?

Of course, they didn't know that the one week from them was three months for him.

Molly had been sitting beside Erza, her current caretaker. She heard Nashi's call and buzzed with excitement.

She jumped up from her seat, seeing Nashi by the front desk of the hotel. Jude's back was to her, so she felt she'd be surprising him.

"Jude!" She called when only a few feet from him. He turned his head quickly, recognizing the voice and happy to hear it.

However, Molly was caught frozen in her tracks as Jude spun around. He smiled at the sight of her, but she could only stare at Jude. He left a boy, but now he looked like a man.

He was already older than her. By just a year though.

Now, however, Molly felt he was so far above her.

The stared at one another in silence, neither one sure what to say.

Jude was compelled to say "it's me" as he was afraid she didn't recognize him. Of course, he hadn't changed that much to the point she wouldn't recognize him.

Molly was compelled to say "those are new" in reference to his more bulky and muscular arms. As they were new. He was already relatively strong, more than most kids his age. But now he looked like he could hold his ground in an arm wrestling match with an adult.

But because neither of them said anything. Molly just turned around and ran away.

"She ran away?" Esmeralda repeated, her head briskly turning towards Jude as he sat on the bed.

"Yup. Just stared me down then up and left." Jude scratched his head, his fingers entangled in his already messy hair.

Nashi sat on the bed to the right of Jude, her fingers messing with the blonde locks. "We oughta get this cut." She said, paying no mind to Jude's dilemma.

He smacked her hand away in annoyance, rolling his eyes as he stood up from the bed. "When does the opening ceremony start?"

"Not until after the preliminaries," Xavier explained. "Which could start sooner than later. They don't exactly prepare you."

Jude sighed, hoping he could manage to swallow his anxiety in a single gulp. He felt so small next to the rest, all the powerful adults that stood around him. So together and strong.

Nashi grabbed onto Jude's arm, pulling him up swiftly to get him off the bed. "Come on, we gotta go see mom and dad before the games get started."

"Why?" He was quick to ask, his parents being the last thing on his mind at the moment.

Nashi rolled her eyes, dropping her head down to leave herself eye to eye with Jude. "You haven't seen mom or dad in 3 months, remember?"

Jude shrugged, only to have Nashi yank him out of the room anyway.

In the same inn, around the same time, Liddan had settled into his room. He was with Lugi and Malcon, and didn't expect anyone else to arrive.

Of course, he was very wrong.

The door swung open, and Liddan jerked his head around to greet the arriving roommate he hadn't planned on having.

With just a single bag to hold her few possessions, Melody walked in meekly. Her false legs trembled as she stepped through the door, shutting it behind her quickly. She could tell Liddan hadn't expected her, so she quickly bowed her head.

"I'm so sorry!" She stuttered. "I needed a room, but I didn't know who to room with. So I just let Mira sign me up with whomever."

Liddan squinted lightly, the only word that he hung onto was "whomever" as he never heard people use it in conversation.

He waved his hand in the air by his head, shrugging his shoulders as he dropped it. "I don't care," he assured her.

"Do you mind if I sleep in the bathtub?" She muttered shyly, embarrassed by her situation.

"Nah!" Malcon answered. "Liddan never showers anyway!"

Liddan growled, smacking Malcon on the back of the head in annoyance. "Don't go telling her that."

"Lugi..." The small pink cat snickered.

Liddan stood up, adjusting his false arm as he walked past his bed and away from the cats. "I was going to head down to the bar, wanna come?"

She blushed, feeling odd to be invited by Liddan to go somewhere. It seems as thought it'd been ages since it was just the two of them spending time together. She assured herself that it wouldn't be just the two of them, and the cats would be there as well, but she still felt strange.

"That would be lovely." She replied quickly, nodding her head as she dropped her bag onto the bed she wouldn't be sleeping in.

He patted his real arm on her shoulder, edging her towards the door simply because he wanted to get to the bar faster. "Then let's go."

It was also at that time when Felicity, Zailo, Layla, and Elwin had all reached their room. Zailo ran to the bed closest to the window and claimed it.

"This one is mine and Felicity's!" He declared in an obnoxiously loud volume.

Felicity furrowed her eyebrows, crossing her arm as she tossed her hip to the side lightly. "Um...you thought we were gonna share a bed?"

"I'm for that!" Elwin said, dropping his many bags and shooting his arm into the air, knowing that if Felicity and Zailo were to share a bed Layla and himself would share the other.

"You do realize that if they did take that bed, you'd sleep on the floor and I'd get the last bed." Layla hissed out in a low tone.

"Never mind..." Elwin corrected.

Zailo pouted, shooting off of the bed and shaking his head. "What do you mean we aren't sharing a bed?"

"I mean there are two girls and two boys, it's most appropriate for the girls to share a bed together," Felicity explained.

"Also I don't want to sleep on the floor," Elwin added, now frightened that could become his fate.

"Yes, that is reasonable, but Elwin can just become a dog and lie on the edge of the bed or something." Zailo explained. "Also you're hair smells really nice and I was really looking forward to smelling it--"

"No Zai."

"There." Lucy smiled as Cancer posed dramatically behind Jude. His hair was cut to its original length, and Jude looked just a bit less wild than before.

"We should've kept it long," Natsu pouted, messing up Jude's recently groomed mane. "It looked cool."

"It'll just be a problem." Nashi shook her head, dropping her hands on her hips. It was too short to pull back but long enough to get in the way."

Laurie and Sylvie sat on their own bed, each holding one of the triplets as they watched Cancer disappear from the room in a puff of air.

Nashi glanced over at Sylvie, trying not to laugh as she watched her be forced into sitting for her infant siblings.

Sylvie silently shot daggers at her nemesis until her brother knocked on the frame of the open door, wanting to meet with his fiance.

"Hey, went to see the others before me?" Gideon rolled his eyes, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"By others, you mean my family?" She scoffed, greeting Gideon at the door with a peck on the lips. Nashi hadn't seen Gideon in 3 months, and with the odd time barrier she'd had no way to contact him. While she was excited to see him, her excitement had to be boiled down into a single kiss (as she was in front of her parents). "I was taking care of Jude, I was coming to see you right af--"

"Ehem." Sylvie croaked, standing up with Mavis in her arms and a sour expression stretching from cheek to cheek. "Don't you have the decency to keep your kisses to yourselves."

Nashi simply rolled her eyes, drilling a pointed finger right back at Sylvie. "What about that one make out session you and Laurie had in the middle of the guild?'

"That was different..." Laurie hissed. "She kissed me! I'm innocent."

"Come on Gideon! If you're gonna be married to my sister, you can at least stop being a huge **ssy about it."

"What-!?"

"I said don't be a sissy."

"Oh..." Laurie replied, scratching his head. As he'd sworn to have heard something else. He stood up quickly and set Igneel in his crib, full prepared to explain the event they'd just brought up. "Okay, I'll admit me and Sylvie may have a bit trouble with the amount of PDA we have, but we at the very least have the decency to not get frisky in front of our parents."

"Except that one time..." Sylvie confessed. "We were just very passionate."

"Plus," Laurie continued. "Sylvie is almost always naked."

"Yeah. And that isn't my fault. It's in my genes."

"What jeans?" Nashi grumbled. "You're naked right now."

Sylvie looked down, coming to realize she was wearing only a pair of white underwear. She whipped her head around, to find Lucy had smacked both of her hands over Jude's eyes while Natsu covered his own--not wanting to see his friend's daughter in the nude.

"Please don't be naked when you're holding Mavis..." Lucy hissed out, hoping her nudity wouldn't be contagious and lead to a stripper daughter.

Laurie quickly grabbed a blanket off the bed and traded it for the baby. "Go to the bathroom babe. I'll bring you clothes in a sec."

"Atta boy," Gideon growled, leaving Laurie a fair warning a Sylvie scurried into the bathroom. "And drop the 'babe'."

Laurie snatched up Sylvie's clothes, sticking out his tongue as he slurred out "Make me!" before sprinting into the bathroom after Sylvie to escape Gideon's wrath.

Before Gideon could break down the door, Nashi was tugging him out of the room. Whipping her head around to her traumatized younger brother, she waved her hand to him and smiled brightly. "Come on Jude, we better get ready for the preliminaries."

Sue Ellen growled as she peered out the window irritated by the boisterous tourists here to see the game. "Tourists." She hissed out in front of her own tourist customers. When the laughed, taking it as a joke, she shot a glare at them.

She hated the games. They dragged so many strangers into the town. Not to mention hoards of strange mages.

Sue Ellen continued her dissatisfaction right until Marigold entered her restaurant.

She walked right up to the counter, Sue Ellen thought she was daring to do so. She needed a bath bad. Her arm was wrapped up with dirty patches of gauze.

"The room upstairs available?" Marigold had seen a sign reading "for rent" in the window.

"Yeah?" Sue Ellen had been the one to put the sign there but hadn't expected such a quick response.

"If you give me the room, I'll work as a waitress for free."

Sue Ellen could only think the girl needed a hospital not a job. Nonetheless, her need to be witty came up yet again. "It's not for free if I'm giving you the room."

"Then I'll pay by working," Marigold replied quickly, trying to hide her annoyance. She was exhausted and wanted nothing more than a shower. She almost wonted to step out of the body altogether, given the fact it was an option.

Sue Ellen scowled, her eyes intently on Marigold's pitiful ones. She sighed, shaking her head. "Do you have any experience."

Yes. Worked as a waitress since I was 14.

"Yes," Marigold repeated what the voice inside her had said. "I've worked as a waitress at lots of places since I was younger."

Sue Ellen remained unfazed, lifting her hand lightly to wave it. "Smile."

Marigold looked at her quizzically, expecting some sort of explanation or follow up on the demand. Of course, Sue Ellen provided none. So Marigold smiled.

It was fake, but she'd perfected a smile that could fool anyone. She'd practiced every day when she walked home from Tobias's.

Sue Ellen shrugged in response, tapping the top of the counter as she pointed to Marigold's disastrous appearance. "If I ask you why you look like you've been living in the woods for the past week, would the answer make me not hire you?"

Marigold laughed. "Well, I look this way cuz I have been living in the woods for the past week."

Somehow, that surprised Sue Ellen. Marigold waved her hand, shaking her head as her shoulders shrugged. "It's a long story. Of course, if you hired me, I'm sure I'd have plenty of time to tell you about it."

Sue Ellen smiled, perhaps it would be the last smile Marigold could ever get out of the woman. "Alright then. There's a bath upstairs, hon. I'll get you a uniform. Be down here by the hour and I'll show you the ropes."

Marigold nodded, sighing in desperate relief. "Thank you...so much." She began to walk towards the stairs Sue Ellen pointed to, only to be interrupted by the older woman.

"Eh--eh," she stopped Marigold before she could take another step. "Your name, hon?"

She bit her lip, trying to decide whether or not her real name would be dangerous to use.

Marigold swallowed, and simply said, "Doe. Doe Woods."

Sue Ellen seemed surprised by the name, finding it like one you'd take from a story book. Granted, her real name being "Marigold Pollen", perhaps "Doe Woods" was more believable.

"Alright kid," she shrugged her shoulders. "Go ahead and clean up, Doe Woods."

With that said, Sue Ellen waved her hand, sending Marigold/Doe up the stairs to her new temporary home.

"I'm very excited," Melody said in a meek voice, her eyes piercing through the screens the lacrimas displayed above the bar. "This is all so exciting."

"You already said that." Liddan chuckled, watching Melody wiggle as she sat on the edge of her seat. "The games, we don't know what time they're starting. The preliminaries always start as a surprise, it's meant to make the guilds here scramble."

"Oh." Melody sighed, re-seating herself with a face flushed with embarrassment. She felt so ignorant of everything. "Right, right. Sorry, sorry."

Liddan rolled his eyes, scooting his seat closer to the blue-haired spirit with a reassuring smile. "Don't freak out. You've never watched the games before, last year Fairy Tail was in way too big of a mess to worry about the games. So you were never around at a time to watch them, right?"

Melody bit her lip, nodding her head nervously. "I guess."

"So here's how it works." Liddan tapped his hand against the table. "Before the games even start, there are preliminaries. It's one big competition where all the guilds who came here in Crocus fight for a spot in the games themselves. Only eight teams can get it, and those are the eight teams who will fight for the next five days."

Melody nodded, trying to pretend she understood what he was saying. As Liddan continued, Malcon and Lugi each hopped onto the counter. "Then, for the first three days, the schedules will basically be the same. The day will begin with a member from each guild all competing in one big event, followed by a bunch of one on one matches."

The two cats pretended to fight one another, swatting each one another as they threw empty punches. Melody snickered at the sight, as Liddan pushed Malcon over the side of the bar.

"Don't mess with Lugi." He said, patting Lugi's head. "For each win, the guild will get points. With the big event that takes place at the start of the day, points will be given out in accordance to the place the guilds got, from first to last. With the one on one matches, the winner gets ten points, the loser gets none. And if they tie, they each get five. Make sense."

"Yes."

"Are you lying?"

"Yes."

"Want me to keep going anyway?"

"Yes."

Liddan smiled, nodding his head. "One the fourth day, they have the usual opening event, then tag team battles instead of one on one battles. So it's two against two instead."

Malcon flew back onto the counter, ecstatically waving his hands. "When Fairy Tail won the games for the first time, Liddan's dad and Gajeel were fighting against Rogue and Sting from Sabertooth. But then Natsu kicked Gajeel out of the fight and fought them himself."

"That sounds very conceited," Melody said plainly. As she turned back to Liddan, he wore an uncertain expression, and Melody spat out a quick apology.

"It's fine...it was a dumb thing to do if I'm honest." Liddan sighed, dropping his chin onto a closed fist. "On the final day, every single team fights all at once. Everyone fights, and it's the last chance to get any points. That final day can even make or break the game."

Melody nodded, maintaining some sort of understanding. She brought a finger to her lip as she tried to continue her comprehension of the games. As she finally brought herself to some sort of understanding, she turned to Liddan with a quizzical expression. "Liddan, you're very strong. Why aren't you in the games?"

Liddan rolled his eyes with a groan slipped past his lips. Malcon, unfortunately, answered for him. "Because he's a huge turd, and he'd probably go and kill someone if he were in the games."

"Wouldn't want to tarnish Fairy Tail's reputation any further..." Liddan sighed, shrugging his shoulders as if he didn't care. "Whatever, the games are so hectic and exhausting. I'd rather just work as I do."

"He works...alone." Malcon waved his paw dramatically in the air as he spoke. "That is, alone--including his cats."

"Lugi!" The pink cat snickered.

"Yeah yeah..." Liddan hissed. "Hey, Felicity and Zailo worked with me once!"

Malcon only continued to laugh. "That didn't turn out much better did it. An innocent girl was kidnapped, and you were naked for most of it."

"Lugi!" She said.

Malcon's jaw dropped. "You're kidding me! You were naked too!"

Liddan rolled his eyes, annoyed by the sudden discussion of Lugi's nudity. To be fair, Liddan had a complex relationship with the small cat capable of only speaking one word. She was far more than a friend, and was more valuable than most of his family. Thus, he'd recently become a bit annoyed by Malcon's comments, as well as envious of his ability to fully communicate with Lugi.

"Quit imagining her naked." Liddan hissed, pushing Malcon's forehead, causing the top weighted cat to fall on his back. "I don't need to be able to read minds to know that's what you're thinking of."

"Liddan!" Malcon swung his body up, dropping his closed paws onto his hip. "Who do you think I am?"

"A huge pervert hidden inside an adorable cat." Liddan snickered, flicking Malcon in between the eyes. The cat snarled, smacking his two paws over the red spot as he puckered out his lip.

Malcon, of course, turned to Melody with faux teary eyes. Reaching his arms out to her, he cried, "Melody! Liddan is being a huge bully!"

"No!" Melody instantly began to weep for the cat, embracing Malcon against her bossism. "It'll be okay! I'm here!" Malcon smiled, happy to be pressed against the over-sized chest. Lugi, was less excited about the action, cursing the cat out with the use of her own name.

"Lugi! Lugi lugi!"

"Lugi, watch your language." Liddan scolded, snatching his drink off the table. "We're in a public place."

Liddan snickered, wondering what Lugi might have been saying in that little head of her's. However, the thought was interrupted by the quack of every lacrima in the room.

"Hello, hello, hello!!"

The room flooded with gasps and unhinged excitement. Next came the obnoxious SHHH! of a thousand irritated patrons. Then there was silence.

All eyes fell on the screens the lacrimas projected on every wall of the bar and lounge.

People began to crowd about the counter behind Liddan, Melody, and the exceeds. Slowly, a figure appeared on every screen.

The figure, dressed in colorful and gash clothing, smiled behind a mask of a comical pumpkin character. The mask covered only his face, with locks of slick black hair weeding out past the mask. Atop the black mop of hair, was a green top hat. The entire set up was garish, with the man standing in the center of an empty arena, gladly sparking chaos in the city.

"I hope I have your attention, because I'll only say this once." He began, his voice cartoony and remarkably fictional sounding. "A total of 132 guilds have joined this year for the Grand Magic Games. With only eight openings in the games, I suggest the team members of each guild pay very good attention."

Melody grabbed onto Liddan's arm. "Only eight?"

"Don't worry." He assured the frantic girl. "Fairy Tail will make it in."

The figure continued. "Each team will have until midnight tonight to obtain three items and get them to the arena in time."

"Scavenger hunt?" Malcon said, raising an eyebrow as he turned to Liddan.

"I'll keep this simple, best I can." His voice slowed, as his hands lifted into view. "But there are three things needed to accomplish this plan."

"Gah...rhyming." Malcon groaned.

Liddan rolled his eyes. "Tell me about it."

"First is a connection, one old as time. That's sewn things together and still in its prime.

Second a promise, any will do. Something unbreakable and sacred between two.

Lastly a gift, one that lasts more than most, one that can bend, break, and build its host."

It was the last one that frightened Liddan. Bend, break, and build its host? What was that supposed to mean?

"There isn't a single correct answer, but many I'm afraid. What's right and wrong is up to you."

Melody grunted, whipping her head towards Liddan with a startled expression. "That's so vague? How will the others find them?"

Liddan shrugged, trying not to worry for his guild.

The figure clapped his hands together, swinging his head up quickly with that cartoonish smile worn on his mask. "So, with all things said...

Let the games begin."

"Alright," Xavier spoke quickly, not wasted a second of time with his orders. "I think the items are supposed to be personal. Something that's justified as items in our own way."

Ezzie glanced at Nashi, noticing the engagement ring on her left hand. "A promise. Like your ring! Nashi!"

Nashi timidly lifted her hand, looking at the ring. She didn't seem to understand, but Gideon did. He clamped his hand over Nashi's, concealing the ring with his own fingers. "No--you're not using her ring!"

"I think Ezzie's right. It's what they want."

Gideon and Nashi locked eyes. With a moment of though, she provided a nod of approval. With a sigh, Gideon reluctantly removed the ring from Nashi's finger, dropping it into Xavier's out stretched hand. "Lose this and I scalp you."

"Will do." Xavier nodded plainly, not phased by the threat. "Now for the connection and gift?"

"We could check out different shops for the gift." Esmeralda suggested, "I'm not sure what personal thing I can pull."

Xavier nodded. "You and I will check any shops, you all go and find the connection."

"We could use a piece of rope." Nashi suggested.

"Don't follow any of her ideas." Xavier said as he and Esmeralda began to leave. "We'll meet back at the hotel entrance when we're done."

Nashi groaned as she watched the two leave her with her brother and fiance. Rolling her eyes, she crossed her arms as she considered the possibility of the remaining item.

"Connection..." She repeated. "Handcuffs?"

"I don't think so..." Gideon muttered. "Unless...you're interested in that sort of thing."

"Wait--I have an idea!" Jude spat out, grasping Nashi's arm from the excitement. "Where's mom and dad!?"

"I'd bet they're watching the games from the lacrimas like the others." Gideon looked at he floating lacrimas around them, capturing their actions. "Wait...are they filming all the guilds?"

Gideon's thought was interrupted as Jude yanked on his arm, as well as Nashi's. "Come on! I think I know where to find the connection!"

The three began to run towards the hotel's lobby, where they'd come to meet their families.

Most of Fairy Tail was spread out in the hotel lobby, the families of the team members pressed up against the counters to get the best view of the lacrima. This included Erza, as she was anxious to see her daughter in action. Being Molly's current caretaker, Molly was right beside him and the Dragneel's as they watched. Rowen and Gillian had manged to cram into the front lines, as had the already tiny Psycho.

Molly dropped her arms onto the counter, resting her cheek on her forearm as her attention diverted from the screen.

As she looked down in a longing fashion, it was Psycho to first take notice.

"Mowy..." The young kitten mumbled. "What's wong?"

She put on a smile, shrugging her shoulders. "Nothing, I'm fine."

"I doubt that." It was Gillian who said this, slouching down in the stool beside Molly as she tried to drown out the loud buzzing of the rest of the guild, yelling at Team Fairy Tail to "do something already!" She didn't really want to sit all the way in the front where it was so loud, but she wanted to sit with Molly. "I haven't seen you frowning for this long in all the time I've known you."

Molly turned to Gillian, and with bright red cheeks whispered, "Did you see Jude?"

Gillian looked to her friend quizzically. Tilting her head to the side, a quite "huh?" left her lips as Molly began to blush even more.

Molly, filled with a strange sense of desperation, reached forward to grab Gillian's shirt. "He looked so old! And muscular!"

"You're kidding. He was gone a week. I'm sure he hasn't--" Molly's hand pushed against Gillian's cheek, turning the girl's head towards the lacrimas. There, Jude stood, with sweat on his brow as he looked to the left of the camera. His new found muscles were very obvious in the framing. "Holy--my goodness! What kind of training did Nashi give that boy!?!"

Molly quickly smacked her hand over Gillian's mouth, silencing her as she wasn't excited about drawing the attention of the entire lobby.

Erza, being attentive as she was, quickly realized Molly was in some sort of fit. Peering down at the child, she caught the sight of her harassing Gillian as she sat at he bar counter.

"Molly." She said. "What's wrong?"

Molly swung her arms back, removing them from Gillian's mouth in a moment. Gillian sighed with relief, and some disappointment in the guilty expression Molly wore. As a child who never really did much wrong, she panicked whenever she felt she was in trouble.

"It's Jude," Gillian answered for Molly, trying to assure her younger friend that she wasn't in trouble for anything.

"Jude? Did he say something mean to you?" Erza sat down in the seat beside Molly, reaching her eye level.

Molly quickly shook her head. "No! He didn't do anything!" She assured Erza. Molly sighed with an embarrassed exhaustion, turning her head away as her arms returned to the top of the counter. "I just feel awkward around him all of the sudden."

Erza dropped her elbows onto the counter, smiling at Molly as if to assure her nothing was wrong. That this was a simple thing to be fixed. "Why do you feel so awkward?"

Molly glanced up at the lacrimas. "He looks a lot older now. I'm a little scared he'll out grow me."

Molly dropped her cheek onto her arm, digging her face into the shadows she cast to hide. Erza smiled, patting the child's back gently. "When I was a child, I was best friends with my current husband."

Molly lifted her head, glancing at Erza as she dropped her jaw up with her hand. She frowned at the bitter memory as she explained to Molly. "We met in the worst of circumstances but became friends nonetheless. Then...things got worse and we were separated."

Erza was quickly smiled, patting Molly's shoulder. "I came and found Fairy Tail, where I quickly befriended the members. However, the memories haunted me. After a decade, we were reunited, but things weren't the same."

Erza tried to smile, but you could tell the memories felt cruel. "He soon became the boy I loved from my childhood, but I began to fear I wasn't the same girl I was when we'd been together..." Erza muttered, clicking her fingers together. "I was a bit wilder than before...couldn't manage my anger easily, and was a bit too violent than I ought to have been..."

She laughed out of obligation, her cheeks red with embarrassment, Molly looked to her with confusion, as she'd only seen the motherly side of Erza. Violent? She couldn't imagine Erza as violent.

"But...as time passed, he learned to love that new side of me. The odd side of me." Erza smiled. "As you and Jude grow, you'll both change. It happens. Change is apart of life. But, whether you walk along side one another or not won't matter, because if you truly care for one another, the changes you make won't matter. You'll simply learn to love each other again and again. I'm sure of it."

Molly wasn't confident in herself, not as much as she'd like. But she now, in a small way, had more confidence in the relationships she had made with the people around her.

"You're right." Molly said. "Thanks Miss Erza, I feel much better--"

"Nashi! Jude! What are you doing here?"

Then Molly dove onto the ground to hide under Erza's dress.

Jude, Nashi, and Gideon had all arrived within the hotel lobby, surprising all the guild members present. Natsu and Lucy hopped up from their seats, rushing towards their children in a rush. "Hey? You guys alright?!?" Lucy had badgered out, assuming the worst.

"We need dad's scarf for the connection part of the games!" Jude spat out, pointing to the scarf loosely hanging around Natsu's neck. "And we need it now."

Natsu glanced down at the scarf he always kept around his neck, then his own son. Scrunching up his face, he replied, "No way."

Jude and Nashi, both shocked by the rejection, were quick to snarl back to their father, "Why not!?"

"This is just a ploy, ain't it." Natsu wore a witty expression as he spoke, swinging his body away as he chuckled in a hardy fashion. "You're just trying to take the scarf from me without a real fight, eh?"

Both the children were already worn thin on their father's stupidity. All Lucy could do was shake her head. They were in the middle of a race and had no time to bicker over something so trivial. So, of course, Nashi did the smart thing and spat fire in her father's face, and grabbing onto the scarf to pull it away.

The move did little good, as Natsu remained unharmed by the fire, clutching onto the scarf inches from where Nashi had placed her grip. He yanked on the fabric violently pulling Nashi forward as his foot lunged up to meet her. The violent impact shattered Nashi's attack, and Natsu let her drop onto the floor.

Lucy smacked her hand over her mouth, beginning to shout incoherent curses at her spouse.

"Sorry Luce." He laid his hand flatly on Lucy's face, pushing her away for her own protection. "These kids have gotta know what they're getting into if they want this scarf."

Nashi groaned from her seat on the floor, leaving Gideon and Jude in a frantic state. Gideon swallowed his fear of his soon to be father-in-law, stepping over his fiancé to face him.

"Hey! Don't treat her like--" With only the flick of his finger, Natsu sent Gideon flying with a burst of flames. Jude dodged the incoming brother-in-law, falling back onto his hands as he tried to think of something else to do.

Nashi was seeing stars, and Gideon was beginning to contemplate the many horrid Christmas he would spend with his new "dad". Jude was the only one remaining, decided to do the right thing.

He turned around to run away, but his steps proceeded by his own father. Natsu dodged towards Jude, making his way into Jude's path before he could make a break for it.

"Hold up Jude." His hands braced his son's shoulders, in a nonviolent manner. "This is how you're gonna act? In the middle of the arena?" Jude looked around. Gideon and Nashi, they were both up, fine for the most part, but they remained still. Watching to see what Jude's next move would be. This had to be his decision. He had to do this.

"Jude, your team's down. Don't make a break for it." Natsu scowled, shaking his son as and shoving his backwards as his hands released. "Face it! Come on Jude! You're better than this!"

Jude's feet carried him backwards, deeper into the lobby he knew was condemning him to a fight with his own father. A man four times the amount of experience. A man twice his size. A man who probably possessed the same amount of academic intelligence if they were honest.

Still, Jude was scared. And suddenly, he realized his training wasn't over.

He turned to Nashi, desperate for a way out. He wasn't ready to face Natsu! He was way stronger than anyone that would be in the games!

"Don't look at Nashi!" As Jude turned his head back to his father, he felt the heat drawing closer to his face. He swung his head back, dodging a blast of fire. "When you look away, that's when they'll get you!"

Jude took three steps back, each foot tripping over the other in a race to get farther from Natsu.

"Natsu--don't do this--" Lucy clapped her hand over her own mouth, trying to silence herself. This is what the entire games would feel like, this would be training for her too. Getting used to watching her baby get burnt. He could take it. If not, he had to learn.

Nashi was annoyed for the most part, getting pushed over by her own father so he could teach Jude a lesson. She was his teacher, and she was peeved to watch Jude taking none of her lessons for granted. "Come on Jude!" She bellowed, swinging herself onto her feet as she shot off the ground. "Did you learn nothin' from me?!"

Natsu remained still, staring his son down as the guild swarmed around the two, joining Lucy and Nashi as they watched.

On their breaths, the entire guild murmured, "Come on kid. Give it a shot." Too soft to be heard by the boy, as none of them were willing to bet on him.

Natsu grew tired of waiting for his own son to move. So he sparked a few fires. With this, the only skill that Jude had acquired in his training with Nashi was running away from fire. Which is mostly what he had learned to do in his first week. Despite the fact that Nashi and his father had similar fighting styles, Jude discovered that he was much more afraid of his father in battle than his sister.

By the time Jude was running in circles to avoid his father, Gillian was setting a station to place bets. Nothing was on Jude of course, so the betting wasn't going great for her.

"That boy better get some moxie," Gillian growled, "or I'll be out of business."

Molly couldn't see over the crowd and found herself hopping up and down to try and see what was happening. Rowen was there, pushing towards the front row to watch his rival fail in a fight against his father. It wasn't until Psycho, with a sigh on her breath, sprung wings from her back and picked up Molly with her bare paws to carry her above the crowd.

Molly panicked for a moment, surprised by Psycho's actions. Turning her head to look up at the cat, she watched her younger feline friend roll her eyes to say, "Do sometin, you dope."

With that said, Molly swung her head and began to shout. "Come on JUDE! Is all that muscle just for you?!"

Jude blushed. Not only had Molly called out to him, but called him muscular. Finally, some appreciation from someone other than his mother.

Taking a gulp, Jude let his mind swarm for bravery for a single moment, raising his fist into the air and letting it catch fire. As the hand blazed, he lunged it forward letting it soar across the room and find Natsu.

Natsu stepped to the side, and Jude watched his flame burst forward into the crowd of people desperately pushing to get out of the way.

Natsu smirked. "Come on kid, gotta do better than--" Then he ran at him.

Jude jumped into the air, grabbing hold of the scarf with a fist flying into his father's right cheek. His foot swung into Natsu's stomach, and before Natsu could swipe Jude out of his clutches, the boy had dove backward. As Jude fell back head first, he allowed his two muscular hands to meet the ground first, rolling backward back onto his feet and back into the fight.

When his eyes met his father's, he could only see a smile plastered on the man's bruised face. He laughed, wiping the blood from his lip from his thumb. Looking down at his finger adorned with his own blood, he looked to his son in sincere approval to say, "You drew blood, and I guess that's good enough for a week."

Tugging on the scarf, he drew his hand forward to let it slither off his shoulders. He stepped slowly towards his son, smiling as he drew his arm forward, offering the scarf.

"Only for a week, okay." He repeated. "But, maybe in a few years, you'll get it for real."

Jude hesitated when he reached out for it, scared to even touch it. He remembered how empowered he felt when he wore it before, like some sort of champion. Now, as he touched the soft yet firm material of the scarf, he felt some kind of connection to his dad. One that wasn't there before.

"You're really strong Jude." Natsu smiled. "Don't forget that." Glancing up, the smile dissolved into a petulant expression. "Oh, watch out."

Jude squinted. "What?"

Then Molly was dropped on top of him.

Pyscho chuckled as she landed on top of Natsu's head. "Des losers." She said with a sigh. "Der so bwind."

Jude had fallen flat on his own face as Molly fell onto his back. His hand sprawled out on the floor, he groaned out, "Hey Molly. Good to see you again."

Molly rolled off to Jude in just a second. "Sorry--I didn't mean to drop in on you like that."

"Ha ha." Jude groaned. "I get it. Drop in." He sat up, rubbing the back of his neck while his other hand continued to tightly grip onto the scarf his father had given him moments ago.

Molly fiddled with the end of her skirt. "Sorry I was so awkward before."

"Eh, it's fine." Jude shrugged. "I'm awkward whenever I see you, so I guess its no big deal if you're awkward in front of me every once and awhile."

After a moment, Molly laughed, and so did Jude. Then things seemed to be alright between them. She pointed her small pale hands to the scarf, saying, "Aren't you going to put it on?"

Jude looked down at the muffler and replied with a nod. Wrapping it around his neck, it felt so big on him, but as he tugged on the ends, it seemed to fit just right.

"That's the connection." Jude said. "Now if only we could check up on Xavier and Ezzie."

"Yeah. That's a lot easier than you'd think." Gideon chuckled, shocked himself on his own discovery.

He whistled, and Nashi and Jude each rushed towards him. He stood against the counter, looking up at the lacrimas. As the brother and sister arrived to the bar Gideon nodded his head to the bright lacrimas attached to the walls across from them. "Those lacrimas are showing what's going on in the games."

"Yeah." Nashi nodded, her mouth snapping shut as she shrugged her shoulders. "That's kinda why so many people are here watching--"

"You ask the lacrimas so show you any team, right." Gideon turned his head to the lacrima. "Hey, show us Team Fairy Tail."

A light flashed on the projected screen, and it soon split into two screens, showing Xavier and Ezzie on one side, and the three of them on the other. Gideon explained. "They use all the lacrimas around the city to capture and display what all the contestants are doing so people can watch the games. But..." He grinned, speaking to the lacrima again. "Show us Team Mermaid Heel."

With another flash, the team showed up on the screen. Five women all surrounding a man, shaking him by the collar as they tried to get an item from him. "Mermaid Heel alright..." Nashi muttered, admiring their tactics.

"Now, show us a map." As Gideon spoke, a light flashed once again. As expected, a map appeared before them, bright colored dots spotting the map. "Each color is a different guild. So we're here." Gideon pointed to the orange dot. Looking further up the map, he saw an identically colored dot. "This must be Xavier and Ezzie."

Jude pointed to the splurge of dots all gathered around the same street. "Why are so many people all here?"

"Because that might be where the last thing is, the 'gift'."

Nashi clapped her hands together. "Perfect! But how that's not where Ezzie and Xavier are..." This was true, as the duo was just a few blocks from the crowded street. "How do we get to them...?"

They all share a glance, then turn around to find Warren drinking a beer at the edge of the counter.

Finding the "gift" was no easy task, as Xavier and Esmeralda had no real lead. They had the awful rhyme that garishly dressed man gave them, but it felt like such a vague demand. Xavier and Ezzie had dipped into every shop they could find, digging through the entire store's merchandise.

There was no luck, and the duo found themselves staring at a t-shirt with the statement: "My friend went to Crocus and all they got me was this t-shirt!"

Ezzie turned to Xavier, nodding her head jollily. "I like it!"

Xavier groaned, dropping his face into his hands in exhaustion. "I've failed my father...and I can give him is this stupid shirt."

"What sizes are left..." Esmeralda said, fiddling around for the tag of the shirt.

Xavier! Xavier!

Xavier lifted his head, turning to Ezzie. "What?"

"I was checking the sizes--"

"No, you called my name--"

What? You can't tell my voice from Ezzie's?! You think I have a womanly voice or something?!

Xavier croaked, smacking his hands over my ear. "Warren?! Is that you?"

No, it's your conscious, we haven't talked in awhile...

"'Nough jokes Warren," Xavier hissed, "what's wrong?"

Lemme hook you up with the others--

"The others?"

XAVIER!! CAN YOU HERE ME!!!!

YOU DON'T HAVE TO YELL NASHI!!

Are you sure? Because I was doing this telepathy thing once and it didn't go so well...

Wait, am I in the conversation? Is it just reading my thoughts or something? Or do I have to talk? Wait, can Xavier read my thoughts now? That's creepy. Okay, don't think of anything weird or creepy. Like that sex dream you had where you and Nashi were underwater and he was randomly there playing the lyre.

Gideon?! What the--

I didn't need to hear that...

Wait? Is Jude here to?! Everyone! Keep your minds PG!

Too late...

Xavier felt dizzy from the traffic coming into his mind. "Stop--stop thinking everyone!! Just tell me what's up!"

Go to Dorina Square! A bunch of other teams are there, I think they might be selling some needed for the gift.

"What?! Really!" Running a map through his mind, Xavier recalled how close he was to Dorina Square. The name sounded familiar, like he and Layla might have gone down it before. "Wait--I know why they're all there! The rest of you, go to Crocus's Cathedral, I'll meet you there after I get the gift! Now get out of my head!"

Wait--Xavier! Forget what you heard about the lyre--

The connection cut off and Xavier jerked his head around to face Esmeralda. "Ezzie! I've got a lead!"

She stood by the cashier, holding a bag. "But I just got the shirt..."

He grabbed her hand, dragging her out of the store as they two broke into a sprint. They ran down the street, Xavier guiding them down the streets to find Dorina Square. Esmeralda was surprised by Xavier, he seemed to know the entire city like the back of his hand. "How do you know where we're going?!" She speculated, running along side Xavier as they turned around the block.

"Layla and I spent a lot of time in Crocus when my dad sent us on that mission." He kept his eyes on the road, looking forward as he ran. "We found this entire street selling lacrimas, one of them selling dragon lacrimas."

"What--" Ezzie croaked, "are you serious?!"

"Not kidding."

"That's right!" Esmeralda clapped her hands as she began to understand. "Lacrimas give people special abilities, or 'gifts'!"

"Yep!" Xavier nodded his head. "I guess a lot of other guilds figured that out before us, so they're all already over there. I know a woman who owes me a favor there. So I can get her to give us one for free."

They arrived on the street to find most of the teams had already come and gone. The shops seemed empty, and many of the shopkeepers were cleaning up the messes. "Stupid games..." One of them grumbled.

"Where's this woman?" Esmeralda quickly asked, peering down the rows of shops all grumbling and cursing over how inconvenient the games had been to them.

Xavier looked around, eyes etching over each store, one after the other. His long muscular arm stretched out to point down to the rustic old shop at the very end of the road. It was a brick building, that stuck out like a sore thumb. Its sign was crooked, and the windows broken or boarded up. Despite its disgusting appearance, on the front door, in bright red letters read "Yes, we're open."

They ventured down the road, coming to this obscure and frightening shop with no hesitation and stepping inside.

A clunky bell rang as they swung the door open, Xavier stepping inside as Esmeralda followed. She felt lost stepping into the cluttered shop, shelves crawling up the walls with shiny glass lacrimas set carefully on each shelf. They were the only attractive thing in the entire building.

"AY!" An old woman dressed in a clunky dress and coat came rushing into the room with a broom. "None of you mages! I'm not havin my store trashed for your game--" She froze as she spotted Xavier, dropping the broom from her two clammy hands. She croaked, bowing her head quickly as she sputtered out an apology. "Xavier! Xavier!"

"Hilda." Xavier crossed his arms, concealing a smile behind his teeth. "How ya doin'? Selling any of those illegal lacrimas anymore?"

"Wha--what?!" She broke into a swept as she shook her head swiftly. "No! No! I got rid of all those--"

"Hilda, I don't care much for the Dragon Lacrimas." Xavier shrugged, walking over to the lacrimas on the shelf, his thumb running over the glass. "I know your carrier up in Bosco has been gone for over a year, so you don't have a supplier anymore. All the lacrimas you've got left much cost a fortune, and I'm sure you'll run out soon." He glanced back at Hilda, smiling. "I'm just here to remind you that you owe me a favor."

She growled, looking down at the floor as she struggled to kneel down and scoop up the broom she'd dropped. "You're here for a lacrima, right?"

"You have the best." He marched away from the shelf, his arms swinging upwards as he chuckled. "I just need a basic one, one that gives its user extended magic ability."

"I see...I see..." Hilda growled. She waddled behind the counter, propping the broom against her "Those aren't cheap, why would I give you one for free?"

Xavier smiled, his palms landing flatly on the edge of the counter. "You wanna head to prison for selling dangerous lacrimas? I let it slide last time given you saving Layla's life, but I'm willing to go back on my promise."

"Err..." Hilda cleared her throat, bring her her hands together as she looked up to the giant of a man Xavier was. "Alright then, but I want something in return."

"Ha?" Xavier shrugged. "What's that?"

"I want one of Layla's poems!"

The building went silent.

Esmeralda tired not to laugh.

Xavier tried not to break the persona he'd struggled to maintain since he entered the shop.

"She...isn't here right now," Xavier muttered.

"Alright, then I want a poem from you!" Hilda demanded, pointing a bony finger at Xavier. "I just want to hear something soothing. That Layla knew how to give a poem, and if your's isn't any good, at least I'll get a laugh."

Xavier broke. "No wa--"

"Just do it." Ezzie snickered, "I want to see it too."

Xavier swung his head around, looking to the tacky smile Ezzie wore on her face, her arms crossed as she glared at him. He sighed, turning back to Hilda.

"You want a poem?"

"Yes."

He glanced at Ezzie. "I don't have to come up with it on my own--"

"Anything, as long as its good." Hilda nodded, she stepped out from behind the counter, coming towards a seat near the wall. She sat down, fixing her dress as she looked across to see Xavier still standing by the counter, dumbfounded by the agreement he'd just entered.

"Wait," she lifted her finger, shaking her head as she realized the moment wasn't right just yet. She stood up, waddling over to Xavier, pulling him into the center of the room. Hilda then made her way to a lacrima sitting on a table by the door. Her finger traced along the side, and music suddenly began to play from it.

Ezzie took a seat beside Hilda's, and they each watched Xavier stand slouched over in the room as an old tune played from the lacrima.

"Well then," Hilda smiled, "go on."

Xavier looked around the room and sighed as he pulled his head up yet again. "Might as well."

Though your soft eyes swallowed me up,

I must sit here in denial of the hold you have on me.

"This doesn't rhyme..." Ezzie mumbled, eating popcorn beside Hilda.

"Poems don't need to!" Xavier hissed. "And where'd the popcorn come from anyway?!"

"Shh!" Hilda quickly silenced to the bickering two, snapping her fingers quickly. "Go on, Xavier."

I am made drunk by your gaze,

brought to my knees by your voice.

Is this foreign thing called love,

is this the agony every man has felt

to lay beside someone in their final days?

I ask myself, is this madness acceptable?

For I'd bring your hands to my chest,

let you carve into my skin

and pull my heart into your pale, gentle hands.

If you crushed it in your fist,

I'd still smile

knowing it belonged to you.

Of course,

I've never given you a word of my love.

I sit here in silence,

finding my feelings too mad

to be real.

It was gritty and wasn't a pleasant thing to listen too. So when Xavier finished, he shrugged his shoulders and shoved his hands into his pockets. "The only poem I've ever bothered to remember."

Esmeralda had dropped her pop corn, her eyes peeled over Xavier as he stood with a certain discomfort in the center of he room. "What ever happened to 'roses are red'?"

He scowled. "Roses are red, violets are blue. Ezzie is awful," he glanced at Hilda, "and so are you."

Hilda laughed, clapping her hands together as her head rolled back. "Both were good. Very good." She stood up, pulling her skirt to the side as her stumpy legs carried her past Xavier to her back room. "Good, good, good."

When she returned, she held a lacrima with a glowing yellow burning inside it. She passed it to Xavier, nodding her head. "Yes, yes." Hilda chuckled. "You aren't mad, I promise."

Xavier pulled his arms back, taking the lacrima quickly. Ignoring what she'd said, he quickly bowed his head and mouthed off a "thank you".

"To the cathedral, then?" Esmeralda stepped towards the door, holding it open with one outstretched hand. Xavier nodded in reply, quickly rushing out past her.

The other three had arrived at the cathedral promptly and had only waited a few minutes before Ezzie and Xavier arrived. They swung open the doors to the empty cathedral, watching Jude, Nashi, and Gideon all standing by the steps of the altar. Their faces lifted the moment the doors opened.

Xavier lifted the lacrima, waving it lightly. "We got it."

"Great! Now what!" Nashi said anxiously, completely unaware as to why they'd been asked to meet there. She swung her arms up, spinning around as if she were displaying the empty hall to Xavier. "Cause I have no clue why we're here."

"Alright," Xavier dropped the lacrima in Jude's hands, who dropped slightly as it fell into his grasp. He wiped the sweat from his brow, stretching his arms up and back as he turned to Ezzie. "Gimme a hand, okay?"

She nodded and came beside Xavier to approach the altar at the very end of the aisle. They each scurried up the steps, and Xavier began to push against the marble surface. To the everyone else's surprise, the top came off, and a long and dull passage was exposed.

"What the--" Gideon peaked over the opened altar to look into the secret passage. "How did you--"

"Layla and I," he felt as though he'd been using the same explanation all day, "we found it a long time ago. This tunnels down into the caverns below Crocus."

"Well then," Nashi smiled as she pushed past the others, "let's get going."

She jumped right into the tunnel, not bothering to use the ladder. As she fell, her hair caught fire, serving as a dull light as for the rest to allow them to see where the fall ended. They could still see Nashi when she smacked against the ground, landing on her two feet in a surprisingly sturdy manner. She swung her head up, her hair still blazing. "Come on!!" she called, cupping her hands around her mouth as her voice echoed through the tunnel.

Gideon lifted his head, looking around at his team with a shrug of his shoulders. "Well, get busy falling or get busy loosing, cuz we gotta hurry." He swung his legs over the altar, falling down the tunnel with a boisterous shout.

One by one they went, leaving Esmeralda and Jude still at the top. "You go first Jude," Ezzie insisted, knowing that he'd be too scared to go had he been the only one left.

As she predicted, he began to stutter, waving his hands above his chest to say, "I'm good--"

She grabbed him by the arm and pulled him close to her chest. To be more accurate, his face fell flat against her exposed cleavage. Nonetheless, Esmeralda dropped into the caverns with Jude in her grasp.

They landed swiftly, joining the rest of the team, and Jude remained suffocated by Esmeralda's chest.

"Good," Xavier concluded, "we're all here. Let's get going." He began to run down the tunnel, Nashi's bright hair lighting the way until they entered the alright lit mines. Sweeping her hands over her blazing hair, Nashi put out the flames swiftly while licking her lips.

"Hot." Gideon hummed, tapping his elbow against her arm as he passed her.

They kept running, running and running and running. They were left exhausted as they continued to try and abate the distance from the arena. Jude struggled, having not run so much during his time training with Nashi, he felt defeated.

Esmeralda slowed herself to a jog, which happened to be equivalent to Jude's run and began to speak to him. "Are you having a hard time?"

Jude panted out a forced laugh. "No kidding..."

"I'm pretty good at motivating people." Esmeralda insisted with a nod of her head. "Would you like my help?"

Jude continued to let out his breathy laugh. He sighed, not expecting a "good job" or "you can do it" would do him any good at all. He shrugged his shoulders, shaking his head as he foolishly said, "Have at it!"

With a bright light, Esmeralda requipped, entering an unusual set of clothes that included a hockey mask and a chainsaw as a weapon.

"START RUNNING!!!" She hissed in a loud cry.

Jude screamed, and broke into a sprint, Esmeralda clinging close behind him in her strange form. He ran past even Xavier, breaking down a large distance in a matter of seconds and maintaining the speed.

Esmeralda requipped out of tedious form, running beside Xavier. He turned to her with a partial smile. "That was unique..."

"Do it on Elwin all the time," Esmeralda explained, "I assumed it would work on Jude just the same."

Xavier around the tunnel, and began to slow his pace. "Nashi, where do you suppose we are?"

She sniffed the air thoroughly, swinging her head up into the air to get a good whiff of the air. "We just passed the palace, so we're getting closer."

"Dang," Gideon nudged Nashi's arm once again, "quite the nose you've got there. Never thought a sense of smell would be so hot."

"Would you like me to play the lyre, Gideon?" Xavier chimed in, not appreciating the flirtation that developed. Nashi snickered as they all broke from their run, beginning to walk at a moderate pace through the tunnels.

Suddenly, Nashi lifted her head and began to look around. "Jude, you smell that?"

He smelled the thick air around them, looking around as well. "I do...it smells like--bleh...seaweed..."

"Tsukudani?" Nashi could smell it, the simmered seaweed soaked in soy sauce, saturated with the salty taste. It was a distinct stench, one that couldn't easily be ignored.

They arrived at a fork in the road, several tunnels severing the once singular path. "Which way?" Gideon asked, peering down each dimly lit option.

"That one." Xavier pointed to the tunnel in the center, "we better hurry, I can't help but feel we're not alone."

It was ironic, that at the very moment the footsteps could be heard. Nashi covered her nose, pinching her nostrils shut as she stuck her tongue out. The stench became stronger and far more unbearable than before.

"What--gyuh?! It's even stronger--" Nashi hissed, Jude, agreeing in silence as his hands covered her nose and mouth.

"Wait...Tsukudani...?" Esmeralda's eyes widened, and she rushed into the intersection of the tunnels to peer down the one the footsteps were heard from. Her eyes widened, and the others could hear her scream as a clawed beast pounced on her.

"EZZIE!!!" Xavier cried, rushing towards his fallen teammate only to find the...beast...was a cat-eared girl.

"EZZIE!! EZZIE EZZIE EZZIE!!" she cried, again and again, purring as she rubbed her cheek against Esmeralda's lovingly. "I haven't seen you so long!"

"I know! I've missed you dearly!" Esmeralda laughed, smiling as she hugged the cat girl back. "I'm so glad to see you're apart of your guild's games this year!"

"I know!" The girl continued to ramble, the girls still sobbing and hugging like actual maniacs. "I hope we don have to fight each other!! I would hate that!!"

"NEVER! I'd surrender!"

"I surrender first!!"

Nashi sighed, smacking her hand against her forehead. "This is why I don't do the 'girl friend' thing..."

Xavier marched towards the girl, pulling the cat girl off of Ezzie, and quite literally throwing her off of her. Jabbing a finger at the orange haired kitten, he growled, "Don't try to fool us...with your...little 'friendship' card...I can see right through--"

"Xavier, this is my mom's childhood friend's daughter. Tsukudani." She stood up, giving Xavier "the look" with two sharp eyes. "You know...the childhood friends...from...you know where."

"Oh." He swallowed all the threats he'd prepared to say, swiftly sticking out his hand to say. "It is very nice to meet you. I'm sorry your mom and her mom suffered so much."

"Was wrong with dis guy..." Tsukudani mumbled to Esmeralda. "Whys he gotta bring dat up now?"

"Guh--" Xavier hissed, tiring of being placed in such awkward situations. "Let's just get out of here. Her team is probably right--"

"Behind her?"

Down the tunnel, four girls arrived slowly, each with Mermaid Heel's mark glimmering on their skin. They were a treacherous sight to see, all with firm expressions plastered on their faces. The smallest, and obviously the youngest, was a well bodied black haired girl with one red eye and the other a soft violet. The girl beside her was fairly older, with long purple hair that seemed to be every color there was in the dim lighting. The other girl had short hair are wore a band over her brow with the name "DINA" printed onto it. Xavier could only assume that was the name of the girl herself.

The girl in the center of this small party was perhaps the most frightening. She walked slowly, obviously in no rush and baring no anxiety as to getting to the arena first. Her hair was a dark blue, much like Sylvie's, and she wore a yellow trench coat with one sleeve missing. What wasn't covered by her coat was promptly hidden by a glove. Despite this coverage, the strange dark markings crawling up her arm could still be seen.

Her hands rest on her lips as she walked in front of the other girls, clicking her tongue at Tsukudani, who quickly leaped off Ezzie and back to her side. "Sorry Tsuku, I didn't mean to interrupt your reunion, but you two will have to catch up later. We're in quite a hurry and we can't be slowed down by Fairy Tail."

Jude tapped on Nashi's shoulder, having the sister turn her head to face him. In a husky whisper, he asked, "Who's that lady and why does she make me want to crawl into mom's lap?"

"Myla Knoble from Mermaid Heel," Nashi explained, "and don't be scared, she's just a bit intense."

"Oh, Nashi," Myla turned to see Nashi standing beside Jude, "I see you're just as disastrous as ever."

"Also a huge bi--" Gideon covered Jude's ears before Nashi could finish.

Myla turned to Nashi, furrowing her eyebrows as she glanced back at Dina. "Dina, love, mind giving us a bit of an advantage?"

The short-haired girl eagerly nodded, smashing her fists together as the earth below them all trembled. Suddenly, a large thick wall began to come up, separating the two teams before anyone of Fairy Tail could react. As the artificial wall was composed, Myla waved goodbye to Fairy Tail. "Best of luck Fairy Tail, we hope to see you make it into the games."

Bam.

The tunnel was shut up.

"Crap--" Xavier pressed against the newly developed wall, finding it sturdy as stone. "Come, guys, gimme a hand at this--"

Gideon cleared his throat, lifting his hand proudly with a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Mind if I take this one?"

Xavier shrugged his shoulders, allowing Gideon to have the space over the wall. Gideon stretched his arms out, smiling as he grew excited about his new plan. "Don't you dare tell my dad...but I took a lesson or two from Uncle Lyon." Gideon croaked. "Er...don't let him know that I call him 'uncle', either..."

Widening his stance, Gideon looked directly at the wall as he brought his hands together. His fist landed flatly against his palm as he bellowed, "ICE MAKE!! MAMMOTH!"

In a burst of blue and white light, a magic circle formed around his hands, and a swarm of ice entered the air. As the frost settled, a giant mammoth emerged in a bright crystal-like form. The beast roared like a choir of trumpets, its tusks rising into the air as it swung its head up.

Nashi was giddy, hollering as she looked at the mammoth with glee. "This is so cool!!"

"Alright, Manny!" Gideon pointed to the wall. "Charge!"

With yet another roar, the mammoth charged forward towards the war, smashing through the wall swiftly. The rocks and dirt crumbled in a moment, and the mammoth was left without a scratch. The team cheered at their success, or Gideon's really.

"Great!" Xavier lifted a hand to Gideon, the two high-fiving in a silent show of respect. "Now let's start running--"

"Or we could just get on the elephant," Ezzie suggested, having already climbed onto the back of the giant ice mammoth.

Xavier glanced at Gideon, who gave a shrug of approval. "Al--alright. I think that's a good plan too."

One after the other, they swiftly climbed onto the black of the giant ice beast. Gideon picked Jude up onto his shoulders to push him onto the elephant, watching him slip and slide as he tried to make his way onto the back beside Esmeralda. Gideon climbed on at the front, as he was the one to steer the mammoth. He turned to Nashi, reaching his hand out like a gentleman to say, "My lady..."

She snickered like a dork, allowing herself to be pulled onto the mammoth and sit close behind Gideon, holding onto his chest. After creating a set of reins, Gideon kicked the mammoth into motion, causing both Jude and Nashi to gag.

"Yep..." Gideon sighed, feeling Nashi collapse onto his back as they took their first step. "Didn't think that would last long, anyway."

The mammoth moved with haste, and they journeyed down the tunnel far faster than they had on foot. "We should travel this way all the time!" Esmeralda shouted over the loud thumping of the mammoth's steps. "This is almost as fun as riding in the Ez-mobile!"

"You have a weird definition of fun!" Xavier called, holding tightly onto the ice surface of the elephant, feeling slightly nauseous from the rough motion of the mammoth.

As they moved, they could see Team Mermaid Heel traveling ahead of them.

"Everyone, say cheese!" Gideon wore a cheeky grin as he turned around to the rest of his team. As they passed the rival guild, they all made a befitting face of conquest at the team. Gideon stuck his tongue out, and Nashi and Jude's faces were bloated as they held in their lunches. Esmeralda provided crazy eyes, and Xavier just looked confused.

"Nashi! Where are we?!" Xavier shouted, still gripping tightly onto the surface of the ice to brace himself atop the mammoth.

She held a finger up, swallowing reluctantly as she tried to retain her scent of smell. "Uh..." Her eyes widened as her face lifted. Forcing enthusiasm, Nashi tried to smile to say, "We're almost there! Just a little mo--"

SMASH.

The ice came tumbling apart, and the team was scattered across the floor of the tunnel along with the shards of ice. Nashi held tightly onto Gideon protectively, Esmeralda having stepped over Jude to protect him from any fallen ice.

As she lifted off his body, Jude looked up to a smiling Ezzie as she asked him, "Are you okay?"

He was, but she was bleeding from the forehead from an unfortunately fallen tusk made of ice. Xavier glanced over at Esmeralda, quickly lunging towards her to cover her eyes, ensuring the blood didn't enter her vision.

"Quick, quick," Xavier muttered to Jude, "cover her wound with something."

While Jude and Xavier attempted to clean Esmeralda's wound, Gideon and Nashi lifted their heads to find the cause of their sudden crash. Gideon looked to his creation in remorse, shaking his fist in disdain. "NO! Not Manny!! It should've been me--"

"Gideon," Nashi hissed, grabbing onto his arm and turning him around. His eyes shot towards a small child with a scarf tied tightly around her mouth. She glared back at Nashi, smoke emitting from her closed fist.

"Good job Cinder,"

A man with snow white hair approached the child from the dark, patting her shoulder as the smoke faded from her body. "Pretty crappy ice if it was destroyed by one shot."

Gideon growled, ready to defend is very family's legacy had Nashi not held him back. "You take that back--" Gideon huffed and puffed as Nashi tugged on his shirt.

"Calm down Giddy boy, calm down..." Nashi cooed softly, pulling a very reluctant and wounded Gideon into her warm embrace.

"Giddy boy?" The man scoffed. "That's cute."

"Crap." Nashi smacked her lips. "Number one rule, don't use nicknames in front of the baddies."

Xavier and Esmeralda each stood up, standing side by side as the looked to the peculiar guild mark exposed on the young girl's stomach. "What guild are you from?" Xavier boldly asked, "I know almost every guild in Fiore, but I've never seen that symbol."

"Oh," the man's face wrinkled in an exaggerated morose. His hand fell to his chest, where he held a tight fist around his clothes and shook his head. "You don't know who we are? I'm hurt!" He smirked as he pulled his jacket open, tugging down on his loose t-shirt to expose his own guild mark. "Howl Caedo, at yer service."

"Still never heard of them..." Nashi confessed, pressing her lips together as she tried to find a link to the name. The scent was what struck her the most. It was familiar, not just any smell that she'd stumbled on before. The scent itself was distinct, with a strange perversion strong enough to throw her off of the relation.

"Don't worry about it, cutie," the man winked, "you'll know us soon enough." Bringing his hands to his lips, he called into the tunnel behind him. "We're all clear Liz!"

Xavier's eyes widened, frightened of who the name might belong to.

No. It couldn't be.

This couldn't be the guild she ran off to.

It was impossible.

But it was her.

Liz Strauss, with her snow white hair, stepped out of the dark along side three frightening men, the rest of the team.

She glanced at Xavier, a faint expression of surprise meeting her face. Feeling she was obliged to greet the cousin she hadn't seen in years, she nodded her head and softly said, "Xavier."

"Liz...?" Xavier had little time to speak before a man with curly light grey hair stepped in behind her.

Raising his arm, he quickly nodded his head to the Fairy Tail members, "Good to see you again, Ezzie."

Esmeralda, who didn't recognize the man, stood in shock. Suddenly, a purple light shot from the man's hand. A script drew itself across the tunnel, building a wall of foreign text separating the teams.

"Jutsu Shiki." He said softly. "I hope this is alright, you think Fidi?"

"Works great," the violet-haired man, apparently Fidi, hummed as he grabbed Liz by the arm. "Keeps him here long enough for us to take first, but I'm sure we'll still see them in the games."

And with that, the strange team all left.

Esmeralda quickly ran towards the wall, slamming her fists flatly against their invisible surface. Her eyes red through the strange script, reading the demands of the script.

"It says here we have to wait three minutes before we can move forward," Ezzie explained. "Well, that's two minutes and forty-seven seconds. Make that two minutes and forty-five--"

"We get it Ezzie." Xavier sighed, dropping his hand onto the back of his neck. "Crap, this didn't go well."

"And that creep called Nashi cute," Gideon growled, cracking his knuckles as he stood against the wall, "I'm gonna tear him a new one."

"I know--" Nashi bellowed, "I'm not cute! I'm hot!" She kicked at the wall, determined to find a way to destroy a nonexistent physical force.

Jude watched the chaos and look of defeat on his team's face. He felt stupid for saying it, but he shrugged his shoulders and said, "I think we've done pretty good."

Everyone stopped what they were doing to stare at Jude. He froze, suddenly regretting what he'd said. Tugging lightly on the scarf that dangled around his neck, he shrugged his shoulders. "I mean," he forced a smile as he looked up, "I'm just really impressed with all the good work you all did. We got all the items really quick thanks to Gideon's smart thinking, and we found our way to these tunnels with Xavier's knowledge of Crocus. We made it past Mermaid Heel and we're way ahead of them. Esmeralda managed to motivate me, and thanks to Nashi's training I managed to stand my ground long enough to impress my dad and win the scarf."

He set his hands in his pockets, feeling a bit of confidence. "If we don't get first place for this, so what? We don't get first. But we'll get into the games thanks to everyone's hard work on this team, and then we can prove we're the best."

There was an unsettling silence in the tunnel as Jude's team stared blankly at him for a few moments longer.

The hardest part of being the children of the greatest was the overwhelming shadow they placed for them.

"Don't give us all the credit." Nashi chuckled, dropping her hands to her waist. "Seriously, you got dad's scarf when I couldn't. I'm really proud of you Jude."

Perfection is defined by the works of their mother and father, and the children will stretch their arms out to reach for that perfection even if it breaks their fragile hands.

"Jude's right," Esmeralda nodded her head, patting Xavier's back. "We can do better in the real games. And I'm sure that this will give us the chance to finally speak with Liz. I think we're due for a chat."

"Yeah," Gideon ground his teeth, "and I'm gonna smack that smug grin off that creeps ugly mug."

"Ya know..." Nashi drew her hand to her chin, "in my opinion he kinda looked like you."

"You take that back--"

Xavier, who had yet to speak, turned his head to Esmeralda. "Ezzie, do you by chance have a way to communicate with Layla?" She pulled out a small portable communication lacrima. Smiling, Xavier nodded his head. "Perfect, we might still have a chance of getting first. Tell Layla to get to the entrance of the arena."

"Alright," Esmeralda nodded, holding the lacrima in her hand, "but she was at the hotel, there's no way she could make it there in time."

"Mention Liz, and I promise she'll be there."

The wall fell, and they started running again.

There wasn't much distance between them and the arena at that point. After just a few minutes, the team found themselves emerging by ladder from the tunnel.

"We'll make the rest of the way above ground." Xavier announced, peering up at setting sky to see the arena in view. "We're almost there, I just hope we haven't been beat--"

"Look!" Gideon snapped his fingers, pointing at a lacrima displaying the multiple teams. "No leader board or anything like that. They'd announce the first teams if anyone had made it yet. We're still good! Those guys in the tunnel haven't even made it yet!"

"Great!" Nashi grabbed Gideon's wrist. "Then let's getta goin'!"

Through the streets, onto the roofs, over the alleys, and finally to bridge leading into the arena. There, they could see it. Team Howl Caedo just ten yards from the bridge. Liz near the front of the party.

"There's no way we could beat them!" Jude hissed, dropping down with Nashi onto the street leading to the bridge. Xavier looked up towards the roofs surrounding the streets, nodding his head.

"Just give it a--"

"HYAAAAA!!!" The scream could be heard ten blocks away, and the roaring blend of lightning and fire echoed through the sky.

The team was scattered across the street, Liz falling onto her knees, jerking her head around to see Layla land flatly into the center of the group.

"Heard you're back in town, Liz." Layla scoffed, a smirk firmly on her face. "It's been awhile."

"Back in town? We're in Crocus, you moron." Liz groaned, rolling her eyes as she stood back up, brushing the dirt off her pants. "Layla, I can see you have the body of a twelve-year-old."

"I can see you still have the body of an eighty-year-old man."

"Har Har." Liz cracked her neck, rolling her shoulders back. "You're not apart of Team Fairy Tail, I don't think this is very fair."

"Maybe." Layla chuckled. "But all's fair in love and war, and this is war babe."

Liz, sighing in annoyance to the attack, "Well if that's how it's gonna be, then you and I can duke it out like--oh crap, your team's right behind us aren't they."

Liz jerked her head around, seeing team Fairy Tail just a good ten feet ahead of them. Xavier, wheeling his head around to call, "ATTA GIRL LAYLA!! KNEW I COULD COUNT ON YOU!!"

She blushed, not noticing the rest of the fallen team around her finally rising to their feet to catch up with Fairy Tail.

It was a close race, Jude staggered behind for only a moment until he subconsciously heard the hum of Esmeralda's chainsaw and started sprinting past the others. They followed his lead and began to make their way over the bridge and into the tunnel of the mountain the arena sat on.

It was close, but the light of the arena's center drew them in. The light that grew larger with each step, until it consumed them and all the could see was a bright blue sky and a cheering crowd.

"AND TEAM FAIRY TAIL IS THE SECOND TEAM TO MAKE IT INTO THE GRAND MAGIC GAMES!!!"

"What...?"

Xavier couldn't believe it, none of them could. They were right outside the arena when they last checked to see if anyone had made it to them. How could someone have gotten past them.

But there they were.

Standing brightly and proudly.

A new unheard of guild with smug faces.

Team Deadly Sins.

The rest came in one by one. Flooding into the arena a team at a time until all eight were chosen.

First - Team Deadly Sins

Members: Reo, Eleanor, Adelia, Havih, Nestor

Second - Team Fairy Tail

Members: Nashi, Gideon, Jude, Esmeralda, Xavier

Thrid - Team Howl Caedo

Members: Cinder, Othello, Liz, Fidi, Frost

Fourth - Team Mermaid Heel

Members: Dina, Tsukudani, Myla, Simie, Akumi

Fifth - Team Sabertooth

Members: Kris, Yui, Mist, Kordi, Nathan

Sixth - Team Lamia Scale

Members: Garrett, Macyn, Ronan, Cheli, Toni

Seventh - Team Blue Pegasus

Members: Ellia, Regina, Ichiro, Sakura, Yuki

Eighth - Team Redmoon Shield

Members: Cali, Ace, Ema, Lilliana, Keith

Each team stood around the edge of the inner arena, watching each other carefully. All eyes seemed to be on the first place team, but Fairy Tail couldn't stop thinking about Howl Caedo. Jude glanced at the pink haired girl with a scarf tied tightly around her neck, they shared a glance and he lifted his head back to the crowd. There, across the crowd was his entire guild, crammed into the seats eagerly cheering the team on.

Molly stood atop the barriers of the stands with the exceeds, hopping up and down until she almost fell in, only to be caught last minute by a quick moving Erza.

He snickered, bringing his father's scarf to his mouth to hide the small laugh so his teammates wouldn't catch him blushing over the girl.

Xavier turned to Esmeralda, glancing over at the man with thick curly gray hair. His eyes were unapologetically on Esmeralda, peeling over her as if were trying to undress her.

"Creep," he muttered under his breath. "That weird guy from Howl Caedo is staring at you. The one who knew your name."

She turns her head, meeting eyes with the strange man she'd met before. He smiled, nodding his head to the side as a simple gesture of acknowledgment. Esmeralda turned away, not wanting to show any signs at all. "Yeah," she said softly as she looked ahead, "creep."

Layla settled in the stands, standing at the edge beside her mother and father, who kept reaching for a scarf he was surprised to not find around his neck, despite the fact that he'd reached for it three dozen times since he gave it to Jude.

"Crap," he groaned, "when one of those kids really do beat me, I'm gonna have a hard time really lettin' go it that scarf."

"You regret your promise?" Lucy chuckled.

"Nah," he smiled as he threw his head back. "Just keeps me on my toes! I'll have to keep training and getting stronger to keep up with these kids, ya know?"

"Hey, dad," Layla said softly, announcing her presence and surprising her father.

He turned his head to her, smiling as he saw her. "Hey, kiddo! Saw you threw off one of the other guilds, I'm proud of ya kid!"

Layla nodded her head lightly, "Yeah, Xavier asked me to, plus it was Liz after all."

Natsu furrowed his eyes, turning back towards the center of the arena where the Team Howl Caedo stood. "Yeah, I noticed." He sighed, scratching his head as he looked back down to Layla. "Oh well, you come to sit with your parents? Wanna watch the opening ceremony with us--"

"Actually, I was wondering if you could let me squeeze past you, Felicity said she'd save me a seat."

"Oh." Natsu croaked, scooting back as far as he could to let Layla past. "Well, we could've saved you a--and she's gone."

"This is why we had the triplets," Lucy sighed, "we were running low on children who love us unconditionally."

Natsu frowned, sighing as he recalled the fact that his oldest was engaged and his second oldest wasn't even there with them. "I should've dragged Liddan down her by the collar. Malcon even came, but he stayed back at the hotel with Melody and Lugi. I'm sure Mel would love this, don't ya think?"

"Well," Lucy nodded her head in agreement, "I guess she just wanted to spend time with Liddan. She is remarkably in love with him."

"Yeah, yeah," Natsu yawned, uninterested in the subject, "but why didn't he want to come?"

Lucy frowned, "Maybe he isn't really interested in us anymore."

Layla slipped past half a dozen more guild mates before reaching Felicity, Zailo, and Elwin. Zailo and Elwin were each pressed as far forward as possible without falling into the arena, each eager to watch what might unfold in the games. Felicity was much more relaxed, leaning back in her seat as she twiddled her thumbs in boredom. She lifted her head when Layla came and sat down beside her, sighing in exhaustion.

"Good job," Felicity announced, nudging Layla's shoulder with a chuckle. "I was surprised when you left after that call."

"I know, I know." Layla scratched her head. "Xavier needed me, so I left in a hurry."

"Layla." Her name having just been called, Layla turned her head to see Laxus right behind her. "We need to talk, you too Elwin."

Elwin jerked his head around and joined Layla as they climbed over the row of seats they were in to slither out of the crowd with the master. It was quite odd, and almost a bit worrisome for Felicity, but as Layla gave her a look assuring her she was okay, she was but at ease.

Felicity nodded her head, propping her arm up on the back of Zailo's unoccupied seat. Zailo hadn't even noticed that the master had come up behind him, or that Layla and Elwin had left. He turned to her, with bright eyes and a wide grin. "Felicity! Come look!"

He tugged on her arm, forcing the lazy girl to stand (of all things) and look out into the arena. He pointed to the different flags of various guilds cheering and shouting.

"Isn't it cool!" He said, again and again, bubbling with excitement. "You think one day they'll let me into the games? When I've been in Fairy Tail longer?"

"Maybe." Felicity smiled, turning to face Zailo. His eyes were still in the arena, but it was as if his excitement was contagious. Felicity couldn't stop smiling herself.

Suddenly, his smile dropped.

"What's with that guy?" His hand drew out towards the crowd, pointing to the spot where the masses of people thinned out into only a few people in one stand. There, was a man entirely cloaked in black halfway across the arena. He was small, and Felicity wouldn't have spotted him if he didn't stand out so much, with a giant flag behind him for the Deadly Sins, the apparently winning guild.

"What about him?" Felicity muttered, wondering why Zailo would point him out. Sure he was strange, being the only other representative of his guild, but Zailo's interest seemed stranger.

"It's just that," he turned his head to Felicity, "he's blurry."

"Dang it! I owe that dang Alise Debour a friggin' 3000 jewels! I was bettin' on Mermaid Heel to come in first!" Sue Ellen growled.

The small diner had their eyes set on the brightly colored lacrima displaying the results of the game's opening. However, Marigold/Doe kept her eyes on the windows.

"Hey, Doe," Sue Ellen barked, "whatcha lookin' at, hon?"

"Nothing!" Marigold dropped her head back down onto the tables she was wiping down, clearing up all the half-full cups and plates into a wide plastic bin.

"Sweetie, it's like every time I talk to ya, you think you're in trouble." Sue Ellen chuckled, stepping over to Marigold to help clear the tables. She nodded her head, looking at her three grown sons who lagged around the restaurant doing their work. "But I gotta say, every time I talk to those kids over there, they are in trouble."

Marigold snickered, guilt coloring her face as she glanced at the grown boys acting like toddlers in front of the patrons.

"Who were you rootin' for?" Sue Ellen asked, wiping her dirty hands onto an apron.

Marigold bit her lip, dropping the bin onto the counter to give her weak arms a moment of rest. "I was rooting for Fairy Tail."

"Heh, you are not a gambling gal, are you." She shook her head. "That's a safe bet, but I wanna know who you were rooting for. The people you really wanted to win, not who ya thought would win."

"Well," Marigold shrugged her shoulders, "I really wanted Fairy Tail to win. I've met them before, they really helped me out."

"Oh really?" Sue Ellen rose an eyebrow. "You're in a rare bunch, ya know? All the chaos that went down with them the other year, not many people are really rooting for em'. But they're unbreakable, I'll give em' that."

Marigold smiled, looking up into the lacrima. "Yeah, they really are unbreakable."

Taking a deep breath, Marigold allowed herself to relax, dropping the bin into the kitchen to wash later while she returned to wipe down the counter. In a strange sense, in spite of all that was happening and Marigold's own intentions of being in Crocus, Marigold felt peace at where she was.

She liked the job she had, and the small yet decent place she had to live in. Her boss was sweet to her, and her rambunctious sons reminded her of all the crazy people from Fairy Tail. It was nostalgic, really, and homely.

Honestly, she wouldn't mind living there for some time.

Hey. Then there was that voice. I don't want to be stuck here, okay? This is my body, please, I beg of you! Don't take it!

"I won't, I promise." She muttered under her breath, hoping no one else would hear her. "It was just a dumb thought. Nothing more. I won't take your body for granted."

Marigold shut her eyes, scrubbing down the table relentlessly as she told herself again and again. "This is not my body. This is not my body. This is not my body."

She moved on to yet another table, scrubbing the surface until it shined or her cloth was left dry. Again and again, she reminded herself, keeping her direction and goal focused and refusing to allow her thoughts to stray onto any desires.

She wouldn't betray her edolas counterpart. It would be criminal. Unforgivable.

Lifting her head, she looked out the window to see the faint crevasses of her own reflection. It was only the blotches of colors merging with the scenery outside the window, but there was a familiarity with the person she saw in the reflection. It was her. It was her body.

But the body she had before wasn't even her own.

It was Marigold's. The real Marigold. The one that died all those years ago.

This Marigold was nothing but the creation of Ellabentra, right? Just a buffer to keep the Syramin locked up until she could be destroyed and replaced for good.

Marigold never really had a body, not beyond that small jewel she was forced to wear around her neck. And even that was destroyed.

Movement past the glass drew her attention away from herself and back to the world around her. She looked down at the darkened street to see people celebrating the start of the games. She smiled, watching children walk by with balloons and flowers in their hands.

Then she spotted him.

There, in the crowd, walking across the street briskly down the sidewalk was Isaiah.

"Isaiah..." she muttered under her breath.

Looking over her shoulder, she saw Sue Ellen nagging her sons yet again. "Uh--I need to step outside for a moment."

"Oh," Sue Ellen, dropped her hand. "Sure thing hon."

"Ma--" her son whined, "you just scolded me for asking to step out--"

"Don't you talk back to me!!"

Marigold left the diner before things got more heated. She took in a deep breath, peering down the street to see Isaiah still walking, not noticing her presence.

"It's Isaiah..." she said to the alter ego within her. "He's here."

What is he doing?

"Not sure," Marigold began to walk across the street, tailing Isaiah cautiously. She stayed far behind him, keeping a watchful eye as she approached him.

He turned around the block, and Marigold sped up to keep behind him.

"Oh--"

SMACK! Marigold fell flat on her face, dropping over a spilled scoop of ice cream.

"Darn it..." she grumbled, pushing herself back up to wipe off the muck from her clothes.

"It's so busy here..."

The voice, it was Isaiah's. Loud and clear.

He was close.

He'd spot her.

It was all over.

He'd force her to tell him where she was.

It was all over.

"LUGI!"

No. Marigold lifted her head, looking across the crowd to see the owner of the voice.

Liddan, walking along side Lugi in the crowd.

She could've died right there, smiling across the street to see Liddan walking there with their beloved Lugi beside him.

"It's quite exciting, really."

And there was Melody.

Of course, of course, of course.

That's good really. Liddan should be with someone. Melody would be good. She's sweet, kind, and devoted to Liddan. He should be with her. They would be happy.

"This is not my body. This is not my body. This is not my body."

With that in mind, Marigold turned around, and walked back inside the diner, repeating those awful five words until she fell asleep.

"HAH! FAIRY TAIL! SUCK IT!!"

"Must you be so loud, dear?"

Rosemary sighed as Caesar jumped right out of his seat to cheer on the loss of Fairy Tail.

"Yeah Caesar, they got second anyway, not a big loss." Sabrina chuckled, holding Atticus in her arms as she sat on the couch beside Coladome.

Basil crossed his arms over his chest, yawning as he tried to keep his eyes on the lacrima Chase had bought specially for the games.

Chase nudged at Basil's shoulder. "I've got it, Basil. I'm gonna buy a nice store and sell magic items."

"What? But you don't even use magic!"

"But people in Pride are finally interested and open to magic items," Chase announced, waving his hands in excitement. "When I went out and got the lacrima, tons of people asked me to get them one too so they could watch the games! I've gotta open up shop and get busy while the games are going on!"

Basil sighed, shaking his head. "This really sounds like a scam."

"It's not! I swear--"

The business plans of Chase were suddenly interrupted by a knock on the door. It was odd for anyone to come to the house, especially this late. Seeing that the Pollen's only friends and associates were all present, Basil was the one to stand up and bravely answer the door.

Swinging the door open, he relaxed when he saw it was only the mailman.

"Oh, evening." He nodded his head, glancing down at the colorful postcard in the man's hand.

"Postcard for a Basil Mace."

Basil grunted, looking back at the others inside. "Eh...that's me..." This wasn't his house though...

The man passed him the postcard, nodding his head to bid Basil goodnight. Basil looked down at the brightly colored postcard, reading "Greetings from the Grand Magic Games" on the front.

"What's that about, Basil?" Rosemary asked, pulling her head up to look at the card in his hands.

He flipped it over, seeing that the address was sent to the Pollen house. However, his name was still clearly written on the recipient line.

What startled him the most was the message written on the card.

I need to see you now.

-Florence

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Well, this took quite some time to write. More than I suspected. I guess because I was opening this arc, I wanted to push in as much as possible into this chapter. But I've mapped out my plans for the rest of this volume pretty thoroughly, so if all goes well, it'll be smooth sailing.

I'd like to thank all the character creators for giving me their OCs, it really helped me, guys! Plus gave me some great ideas for the story in this volume. I'm sad that not everyone's character will get the chance to be showcased, but I'll do my best to show every character I can as much as possible.

Character Creators

Sabertooth:

Kordi Nanagear created by KittyHoobaDooba

Nathan Drake created by klondike15

Mermaid Heel:

Akumi Black created by ALPH4_CENT4URI

Simie Felicity Rose created by Crazypanda5859

Carmen Alesha created by Manga-Maniac (yet to be introduced)

Redmoon Shield:

Cali Celestial created by AphmauLoverD

Ema Thompson created by Kristin1308

Ace Quinn created by Stawberrrybbycakes

Lilliana Mitsuko Hashimoto created by AllisonHelling

Keith Jeikku created by KittyHoobaDooba

Lamia Scale:

Macyn Knight created by In3ffable

Ronan James Smith created by Accidental_Stalker

Toni Wakabi created by Jayfreem13

Garrett Track created by Bunnylover260

THANK YOU ALL!!!

That aside, I hope to finish all the art for this chapter as soon as possible, and I'll update the chapter as soon as all of that's done. Thanks to this project I gave myself, I've drawn over 30 characters...

That's a lot.

My hand feels like crap. It's all cramped up.

Thanks for reading everyone! And for the last time. Sorry for the wait...

Love all you guys!

-Katie the Terrible