Later in the day, they arrived at Crocus, Fiore's Capital. Flowers bloomed in every corner of every street, which is why it is also given the title, the Blooming Capital. In the center of the town lies Mercurius, the King's Palace. In the western area of town, above a mountain plateau, is the Domus Flau, the arena where the Grand Magic Games are held. Somewhere with the streets laid team Natsu, who all, but you and Erza were still feeling the effects of Second Origins.
Wendy: I can't believe how terrible I still feel.
Dray: I really hope that whole unleashing second origin spell wasn't some kind of sick joke to make us lose the contest.
Lucy: I sorta do feel like I have more magic power, everything else feels like I was hit by a train...
Erza: Chin up! There's no time for whining!
(Y/N): Yeah, there are more important things right now.
Lucy: Why aren't you two feeling it?
Gray: My guess is that they always had their second origin.
Lucy: That makes perfect sense.
Natsu: I don't think I've been in such a humongous city before in my life.
Happy: Aye!
Wendy: Yeah me neither.
(Y/N): I've been.
Makarov: I see you kids finally made it.
Everyone turned around to see the other members of Fairy Tail, and to see Makarov carrying Asuka.
Erza: Master?
Makarov: We now just finished with the registration process. Hehehe, now let's show everyone why Fairy Tail is the number one guild in Fiore.
Citizen: Hey, it looks like the Fairy Tail guild is here.
Citizen #2: Those clowns?
Citizen #3: Well someone's gotta come in last place right?
The crowd begins to laugh at Fairy Tail.
Natsu: Hey, are those jerks laughing at us?!
Erza: Easy.
Citizen: Come on! You guys finish in last place every single year!
Citizen #2: Everyone knows that Sabertooth is taking the top spot!
Makarov: If anyone wants to laugh, they can do it all they want.
Happy: Sounds like a good time to me!
Happy laughs at Jet and Droy as Makarov speaks.
Makarov: Don't forget, we're doing this for the thirty mill- *clears throat* I mean we're doing this for the honor of being Fiore's top-ranked guild of course. Our founding master rose from her eternal slumber to save our lives, so let's make her proud! *puts Asuka down* Now then. we know the games are tomorrow, but unfortunately, we don't know they'll be.
Natsu: What? I thought you guys do this every year?
Alzack: Yeah, but they change every year.
Asuka: Pick me up, daddy! *gets picked up*
Bisca: The year, my sugar pistol and I didn't participate, they had a big ole target shooting game.
Jet: And the year I decided to sit out, there was a foot race!
Droy: They take the guilds scores over a bunch of contest to determine the winner.
Levy: They like to mix it up, I looked through the previous games and there's no real consistency to them.
Natsu: Well, then we'll just have to play it by ear, but I hope there's some kind of fight.
While Erza was in thought Makarov handed her a rule book.
Makarov: Erza, I'd like you to read through the official rulebook by tomorrow.
Erza: I have to read all of this?
Levy: Aw, don't worry, I have my wind reader glasses with me.
Lucy: Levy to the rescue.
Levy reads the book as everyone waits for her to finish
Levy: Hmm... Ok, to sum it all up, I would say there are three major rules. The first one is the master of each guild isn't allowed to participate.
Makarov: Sounds sensible enough.
Levy: A guild can't have someone who doesn't bare their respective emblem take part on its behalf.
Gray: Kinda took that one as a given.
Levy: And every game will remain a mystery, until the very moment it is announced and only then will the rules be given.
Erza: Well, that certainly isn't very helpful.
Levy: Oh, this one can be important too. All participants must return to their designated inns by twelve o'clock.
Erza: There's a curfew?
Lucy: What time is it again?
Carla: I suppose they mean midnight tonight.
Gray: Or what, we all turn into pumpkins? That reminds me of the story of the princess and the glass slipper.
Everyone looks up to see that it's about 1:05.
Natsu: Cool, we got plenty of time until midnight. And since this is everyone's first time in the capital, let's go check it out!
Happy: Are sir!
Lucy: Wait for me!
Erza: Hold on! Do you know where we're staying?!
Lucy: The Honeybone inn, right?
Erza: Just make sure to be back by twelve o'clock, you hear me?!
Happy: Aye!
You walked off into the city since this is the first time in the capital for you as well. You walked around and saw a couple of the sights the city had to offer. As time passed you stopped at a stall selling some sort of pastry. You purchased two of them, as you sat down in the shade of a tree in a rather secluded area. You looked at the pastries as you spoke up.
(Y/N): You can come out now Meredy.
You noticed a blue hood come out of the alleyway as the hood came off exposing Meredy.
Meredy: Aw, how did you know?
(Y/N): It was rather simple really. Training for so long really heightens your senses. Anyway, here you go.
You handed her one of the pastries as she takes it. You take a bite of yours as a strawberry filling floods your mouth.
Meredy: I was wondering why you bought two. Guess this is why.
(Y/N): *chewing* Mmhmm.
Meredy takes a bite of hers, as she chews she takes a seat next to you.
(Y/N): So, the other two assigned you to keep an eye on me huh?
Meredy nodded as she swallowed her hood.
Meredy: That's right! Just think of me as a retainer of sorts.
(Y/N): If you want to then go ahead, now then, I'm going back to exploring, do you want to join me?
Meredy debated it, before nodding her head in agreement. The two of you walked around town, being extra cautious that nobody recognizes Meredy. The two of you stayed together until the sun had set. It was night time when you noticed something.
(Y/N): What's with that crowd?
Meredy: I don't know?
You looked at the crowd until you noticed the head of pink hair going under the crowd.
(Y/N): What are you doing Natsu? Meredy, I have to go check on my idiot teammate, it was nice hanging out with you.
Meredy nodded as you walked towards the crowd, once you reached it you pushed your way through with ease. When reaching the center you noticed Natsu on the ground as he spoke to two guys. You looked at them and noticed the Sabertooth emblem on them. You walked closer and spoke catching their attention.
(Y/N): What is going on here?
Blonde-guy: Huh? Who are you?
Natsu: (Y/N)? What are you doing here?
(Y/N): I was passing by when I happen to see you crawling on the floor, now then, who are you two?
When you asked the question the crowd started talking.
Man: This guy hasn't heard of Sting and Rouge, the twin dragons of Sabertooth?
(Y/N): No, should I have?
Man #2: They're the leading force behind the Sabertooth guild!
(Y/N): I see.
You looked at them as they looked confidently at you.
(Y/N): Natsu, stand up.
Natsu does as you say, as you spoke again.
(Y/N): So you two are dragon slayers huh?
Sting: That's right. Now then, who are you?
(Y/N): My name is (Y/N) Belsrion.
The crowd murmured at the sound of your name.
Person: I remember him, he was known as the dragon emperor back in the day, but he disappeared for a long time.
(Y/N): *thoughts* That's a name I haven't heard in a while.
Person #2: So he comes back now as a member of Fairy Tail? I wonder if he's gotten stronger.
Sting: So you were the one known as the Dragon Emporer, I thought you were simply a myth, but I guess that some myths have truth to them.
(Y/N): It would seem so.
Natsu: So wait, you guys are Dragon Slayers?!
Sting: We prefer the true dragon slayers, we could have easily slain Acnologia.
You began to chuckle at them as they looked at you.
Sting: And what's so funny?!
(Y/N): The thought of you slaying Acnologia.
Lucy: Yeah, if you were there you would be saying otherwise.
Rouge: It doesn't matter if we were there or not.
Sting: What it all boils down to is that we are far superior.
Lector: Let me explain a little something to ya. Natsu and those other two are known as first generation dragon slayers, cause they all got their magic from Dragon's first hand. You're old buddy Laxus and that guy Cobra from the Oracion Seis got their magic from lacrimas that was implanted inside their bodies, we call them second-generation Dragon Slayers. But Sting and Rouge here are way more powerful, cause not only do they got dragon lacrimas inside them, but they were also raised by actual dragons that taught them how to use their magic, so that makes them third generation hybrids!
Natsu: Third Generation?!
Lector: In other words, they're the ultimate Dragon Slayers.
Natsu: You guys think you're so much better than everyone else?
Lector: They just don't think they are, there's a huge difference of skill, between first and third gen dragon slayers. You wish you were half as strong as they are.
Natsu: Tell me something did your guys' dragons disappear in the year 777 too?
Sting: Yeah, you could say that.
Rouge: More to the point they died. The creatures that passed down their dragon slayer magic techniques to us, we eliminated them with our own hands. So that we could earn the title true dragon slayer.
Lucy: I don't believe it, you killed them?!
Happy: Is that really true? Humans killing dragons?
Natsu: You scum! Those were your parents!
(Y/N): Natsu, calm yourself. Now.
Natsu started to relax as you looked to the clock.
(Y/N): It's time to head back, return to the inn you two.
Natsu: But (Y/N)-
(y/n): I won't say it again Natsu! Now go!
Natsu and Lucy flinched at your voice and walked off. As they walked away Sting spoke up.
Sting: And if you somehow managed to pass the qualifying round, we'll show you what real dragon slayer magic feels like.
Before they could leave, a crushing power falls upon them as their eyes widen in response. They turned to look at you as you looked back as your orange eyes glowed.
(Y/N): We will see about that, and you as well.
You turned your attention to a girl with light purple hair who came out of the crowd.
Purple Haired girl: Yes we will, Sting, Rouge return to the guild.
The two groups return to their places as you sat on a bed next to Erza as Grey, Lucy, Happy and Natsu sat in front of you two.
Erza: Explain yourselves. Where have you been all this time?
Gray: Having a completely unenjoyable meal.
Lucy: We ran into a couple of other contestants. A real nasty pair if you ask me.
Happy & Natsu: Those stupid jerks are going to wish that they never messed with me!
Erza: Do any of you know where Wendy ran off to?
Lucy: Uh, no.
Gray: I haven't seen her.
Happy: Well, it's a pretty safe bet she's with Carla and it's not really like her to get lost.
Erza: It's almost midnight.
As Lucy panics about Wendy the door to the room opens up revealing Lisanna and Elfman.
Elfman: We brought you some supplies to get you through the tournament.
Lisanna: Tomorrow is going to be a big day.
Gray: Aw, thanks a lot, you guys.
(Y/N): Muscle cola? Never heard of that brand before.
Elfman: I think you would like it (Y/N).
Natsu: Hey, did you come all the way to see us beat up on those other guilds?
Elfman: Yeah! I mean, I originally wanted to get in on the action and impress my sisters, but a real man knows when to quit.
Lisanna places her bag on a nightstand as Erza speaks.
Erza: This is perfect timing. Do you mind doing us a small favor?
Lisanna: What do you need?
Erza: Well, it's just that Wendy hasn't made it back here for the night as of yet.
Gray: And those of us competing in the games should probably stay here until twelve O'clock.
Lisanna: What happens at twelve?
Gray: We aren't entirely sure. But the rules say we have to be here at midnight.
As soon as Gray finishes that sentence, the clock strikes midnight.
Gray: Which is right now.
Natsu: What's going to happen?
(Y/N): Guess we're about to find out.
The sound of a bell rings out throughout the city. Then a voice is heard.
???: Attention all contestants participating in this year's Grand Magic Games! Good Morning~
Erza: Outside.
Everyone rushes outside to see something in the sky.
Natsu: Whoa, what in the heck is that thing?!
Lucy: Is it some sort of hologram?!
Happy: It's a great big pumpkin!
True to Happy's words, a pumpkin man is seen in the sky over Crocus.
Pumpkin man: To narrow down the one hundred thirteen guilds in this year's games to a more manageable eight, let's begin the preliminary rounds!
Gray: Seriously?!
Erza: Well, this is news.
(Y/N): One hundred thirteen guilds turned into eight in one move huh? Efficient.
Pumpkin man: Although the number of guilds each year increase and multiply, the games have gotten boring now. Is all I ever hear, Let's windle them down I say to you, and gove just eight a cheer! The rules for this preliminary round are simple!
Once finished the inn started rumbling before being lifted into the air.
Gray: What the?!
Erza: It's happening! The inn is rising up!
Gray: Look, the other inns are doing it too!
Elfman: A real man dreams of rising up!
Pumpkin Man: Now, you all will be participating in a race! The finish line is at the Domas Flur Colosimun! Only the first eight teams to reach it will move on to the grand magic games!
A stone path forms in front of the balcony of your guy's room.
Gray: That's a path.
Erza: I suppose that we'll be following it.
Pumpkin Man: You're free to use magic in any way you see fit. There are no restrictions! But remember, only the first eight teams reach the finish line will clear this round! However all six team members must cross the finish line for it to count! One more thing, we are not responsible for any loss of life that may occur in the labyrinth.
Natsu: Say what?!
You and the rest look up to see a floating object that the path led to.
Pumpkin Man: So, without further ado! Let the Grand Magic Games, preliminary rounds sky labyrinth began!
Gray: So it's a foot race, we better get moving.
Natsu: Let's go!
Erza: No wait!
Lucy: Huh?
Natsu: What's the problem?
Erza: The rules state that all six members must reach the goal, so we can't leave without Wendy
Lucy: You're right!
Natsu: Wendy!!
Gray: Crap, what are we going to do now?
(Y/N): There isn't much we can do.
Elfman: Why wait for a little girl when you have a man that's ready to go! We got a roster change!!
Elfman picks up the others as you ride on his back.
Happy: He's so much stronger now!
Lisanna: What are you doing bro?!
Gray: He's doing what needs to be done! We don't have time to wait around for Wendy to show up!
Natsu: Elfman to the rescue!
Elfman: You guys leave it to me!
(Y/N): In that case, let me help as well. Purgatory Dragon's Secret Art! Blazing Skyline!
You sent a large fireball into the sky, when it reached a good altitude it broke into smaller balls and landed on some of the other trails.
(Y/N): That should slow some of them down.
Natsu: Woohoo! Nice one (Y/N)!
Elfman: Manly!
Gray: We're getting close to the entrance!
Natsu: Yeah, first step to being the number one guild in Fiore! We're taking that title! Right team Fairy Tail?!
Everyone: Oh Yeah!
Pumpkin man: Remeber, the Grand Magic Games planning comity is not responsible for any loss of life that may occur in the Sky Labrinth! Good luck everyone!
Gray: Woah, it's some kind of crazy three-dimensional maze.
Natsu: Ahhh! I really suck at stuff like this.
Lucy: Don't give up already! We have to finish in the top eight otherwise we can kiss the title of number one in Fiore goodbye!
Natsu: Yeah, you're right! We gotta get through this if we want to get the chance to get Sabertooth's butt!
Gray: Let's make sure we reached the goal before they do.
Elfman: Real men settle for nothing less than first place!
Erza: When we were on the ground the Coliseum was to the east, we should start in that direction.
Lucy: I got just the thing to help us out. Open! Gate of the compass! Pyxis!
A large bird-compass thing comes out.
Lucy: We need your help Pyxis! Can you show us which way is east?
The bird thing shows which way east is.
East is that way!
Erza: Yes, I'm well aware of that, *hold out compass* I brought a regular compass.
Lucy and her bird sulk in a corner, then everyone makes their way east.
Natsu: Alright East, here we come!
Elfman: A real man charges straight towards the goal!
Lucy: Not to be a downer, but with the way this place is laid out I don't think we can go straight east!
Gray: We're going to have a hard enough time just figuring which way is up!
After a while, the team came to a stop as Erza questioned Natsu about not getting motion sick. The pumpkin man came on a screen to tell you and the rest that a special magic was cast to prevent anybody from suffering anything like motion sickness and a fear of heights so that they can compete on equal grounds. You and the team then walked through a door that leads into a confusing hallway. All of you ran down the hall, until Natsu burst through the door at the end, only to almost fall out of the labyrinth, if it wasn't for Elfman.
(Y/N): That was close Natsu, nice catch their big man.
Lucy: He was talking about the possible loss of life he wasn't kidding.
Gray: Watch your step, because I don't think anybody could survive a fall into the city from this thing.
Elfman: We gotta be more careful when choosing our path now.
Natsu: Guys, we're never going to reach the goal if we keep looking down, come on, we gotta keep heading eastward.
Erza: I think it would be prudent for us to take notes as we move along.
(Y/N): Yeah, it might be beneficial to-
You stop mid-sentence as it catches their attention.
Lucy: What is it (Y/N)?
(y/n): Do you hear that?
Erza: I do.
All around the voices of the other teams can be heard.
Elfman: I almost forgot.
Gray: It's been so quiet, it's easy to forget that there are other guilds in here.
???: Man, you gotta be kidding me!
???: You again!
???: It's the fairy tail guild!
You all turn around to see the members of Twilight Orge.
(Y/N): We don't have time for this. I'll deal with them. Gale Dragon's Song of the Wind and Moon!
You take a sharp breath in and lean back. You then unleashed a powerful gust of wind from your mouth it blows the members of Twilight Orge out of the labyrinth. You noticed a slip of paper that was falling as you caught it.
Gray: Heh, guess he hasn't been slacking.
A loud beeping noise rings out as the labyrinth makes a noise and starts rumbling before it started moving.
Erza: What now?!
Natsu: Aw man! I don't like this!
Lucy: What's going on?!
(Y/N): It's moving?! Seriously?!
Erza: It seems that the labyrinth itself is moving.
Soon a lot of the guilds, along with Lucy and Natsu start to fall out of the labyrinth.
Erza: It's moving on its z-axis!
Gray: We gotta move on its side guys!
Lucy: Easy for you to say! We are already falling!
Natsu: If only Happy was here!
Elfman: Who needs a flying Cat-
Elfman jumps and catches Natsu and Lucy as he breaks through a piece of the labyrinth, landed safely.
Elfman: When you got a man like me on your team!
(Y/N): Nice one Elfman!
Lucy: Thanks Elfman, you're the best!
Elfman: Nah, just looking out for my pals.
Gray: Are you ok over there?!
All 3: We're good!
Erza: It stopped moving.
Gray: I don't know who came up with this contraption, but they're messed up in the head
Erza: Of course, it's designed to reduce over a hundred guilds down to eight.
Gray: It would seem that the last move got a lot of them.
(Y/N): Ah! I forgot that I got this from those other guys.
You hand Erza a small stack of papers
Erza: Thank you.
Lucy: What are those?
Erza: It looks like a map of the labyrinth.
Gray: Talk about a lucky break.
Erza: I just figured out a way we're going to get ahead in the preliminary.
(Y/N): *smirks* Well then, we should get started then.
Soon you and the other members, besides Lucy, started attacking the other guilds.
Natsu: It may not be nice, but you know what we gotta do!
Gray: We got to steal everyone else's maps!
(Y/N): Besides there's one thing we're always good at!
Natsu: And that's kicking the butts of our rivals!
Nice job guys! We got six maps!
Elfman: I don't want to sound dumb, but I don't know how to read these.
Gray: This is Lucy's kind of thing.
Natsu: Yeah, we just gotta gather as many as we can and let her figure it out!
(Y/N): Then let's get back to it!
As you and the guys beat people up, Erza hands Lucy the maps.
Lucy: Who me?!
Erza: Good luck.
Natsu: Hand them over chumps!
Gray: Give us all of your maps!
Elfman: I'm already at three of them so far!
Erza: Not too shabby, but I've got seven!
(Y/N): Seven? You're slacking sister, I'm at ten!
The labyrinth beeps again.
Gray: It's going to move again!
Elfman: Hurry up and grab on to something!
After a moment it stopped moving.
Elfman: It stopped!
Natsu: Awesome team, let's get back to business!
After some guild beating, Lucy took you guys to the center of the Labrinth.
Lucy: I feel like there's no point in heading east on the surface of the labyrinth, we would just be running in circles since this stupid thing keeps rotating!
Elfman: Is that way you decided to bring us to the center of it instead?
Lucy: Yeah, I thought it would be easier to find east here, but apparently I was wrong.
Erza: Who would have thought we would find such a peaceful landscape in the middle of this monstrosity.
True to Erza's words there was a peaceful landscape inside the labyrinth.
(Y/N): It is rather serene.
Gray: It would be more peaceful if it wasn't upside down.
Erza: If that wasn't strange enough, it would appear there is no east or west here.
Erza shows her compass as it just continued spinning.
Gray: Geez, even our compass is dizzy.
Elfman: Man this sucks, there's no telling which way we're supposed to go.
Erza: True, but we can't afford to stop moving either.
Lucy soon started laughing as she summoned the bird thing again. The bird was traumatized after the last time it was here as Lucy tried to convince it to help you guys. After some coaxing, it showed which way was east.
Gray: Um... That way is up.
(Y/N): Yeah, are you sure there Lucy?
Lucy: Positive! Spirits are a lot stronger than plain compasses.
Elfman: Any ideas on how we're going to get up there?
Ezra: Isn't it obvious? Give it a sec.
The labyrinth does its thing as you all fall into the river below. After falling you all are sitting in the grass by the river.
Elfman: Would you look at those birds.
Gray: It sure is peaceful.
(Y/N): You said it, Gray.
Lucy: Come on, we've gone too far and fallen too far to be knocked out of the preliminary round. We gotta get back at it!
Erza: This is no time to be relaxing. We're still in the middle of a race! Let's go!
The team started running until you all of you were traveling on a path in the middle of an ocean.
(Y/N): An ocean? Really?
Elfman: I know! How did they manage to fit this in here?!
Lucy: Forget that! How long is this path!?
Gray: Quit your whining and look up!
Erza: The sky above us isn't real. It's been painted on!
Natsu: She's right! Check it out!
Lucy: If that's the case, then this must actually lead somewhere!
Elfman: And that's gotta be the goal!
Natsu: Alright Team! It's time for one final sprint!
Everyone: Let's go!
Soon you all are greeted by the pumpkin man, he looks at you all as he is clapping.
Pumpkin Man: Elfman Strauss, Erza Scarlet, Gray Fullbuster, Lucy Hartfellia, Natsu Dragneel, and (Y/N) Belserion. Woohoo! Congratulations Team Fairy Tail, you've cleared the preliminary rounds!
Natsu: We did it!
Gray: Why do you sound so surprised? I knew we were going to make it.
Lucy: I'm dying to know, did we come in first place?!
Pumpkin Man: Uhh, no. More like eighth place. You just barely qualified.
Team Fairy Tail: Eighth Place?!