Bonus Chapters every 200 Power Stones
"Normal Dialogue"
'Inner thoughts'
[Year X791]
~ With Fairy Tail ~
"It's time to decide the five members who will represent us at the Grand Magic Games."
Three months had passed since Makarov had first announced their guild's participation, and the day had finally arrived to announce the representing team. Each and every Fairy Tail mage gathered in the guildhall around Makarov, their faces showing mixtures of excitement, nervousness, and anticipation. But if one were to look closely at the gathered mages, they would be able to notice that something was missing.
Some of Fairy Tail's strongest mages were notably absent from the gathering.
Makarov seemed unperturbed by the gaps in their ranks as he continued with his announcement. "Our first representative will be Natsu Dragneel."
"YEAH! I'M ALL FIRED UP!" The Fire Dragon Slayer pumped his fist into the air, flames dancing around his knuckles as his enthusiasm infected everyone around him. Happy flew circles around his partner's head, adding his own cheers to the celebration.
"Gray Fullbuster." Makarov continued without pause.
"About time." Gray said quietly, earning a few chuckles from the guild members who knew him well.
"Erza Scarlet."
The announcement surprised no one as Erza stepped forward. "You can count on me."
Three names down, two spots remaining. The tension in the air grew thick as everyone waited to hear who would complete their team.
Makarov's expression remained neutral as he announced the fourth name. "Lucy Heartfilia."
The reaction was immediate and chaotic as Lucy herself went pale, her hands flying to cover her mouth as shock rendered her speechless. Around her, guild members erupted into congratulations and encouragement, but she seemed unable to process any of it.
"M- me?" she managed to stutter, her voice barely audible above the celebration. "But I'm not... I mean, there are so many stronger..."
Before anyone could respond to her self-doubt, Makarov delivered the final surprise. "And our fifth member will be Wendy Marvell."
If Lucy's selection had caused a tremor, then Wendy's announcement created an earthquake. The young Dragon Slayer looked like she might faint on the spot, her small hands trembling as she tried to process what she'd just heard.
"Master, please reconsider!" Wendy's voice cracked with emotion as she stepped forward, her usual politeness replaced with genuine panic. "Surely someone like Laxus or Gajeel would be better suited for such an important competition. The guild needs its strongest members representing it, not someone who might hold everyone back."
Makarov's expression softened with paternal understanding, but his voice remained firm. "They, among a few others, have not returned yet, so my hands were tied in terms of selection options."
Erza's eyes narrowed as she processed the implications of her master's words. Not only was Gildarts absent, which everyone expected given his tendency to disappear for years at a time, but even Juvia, Gajeel, Mirajane, and Laxus were mysteriously missing from today's gathering.
Meanwhile, Lucy and Wendy had devolved into what could only be described as a nervous hot mess. Lucy paced in small circles, muttering calculations about their chances while gesturing wildly with her hands. Wendy sat heavily in a nearby chair, her face buried in her hands as she tried to convince herself this wasn't some elaborate nightmare.
The rest of the guild rallied around them immediately. Romeo appeared at Wendy's side, offering quiet words of encouragement that seemed to help steady her breathing while Levy wrapped Lucy in a supportive hug. Even Cana wandered over with a drink, though she wisely kept the alcohol away from the underage Dragon Slayer.
"You two are going to be amazing! We believe in you!" Bisca called out, her voice carrying across the guild hall.
The sentiment was echoed by voices throughout the room, creating a chorus of support that gradually began to chip away at Lucy and Wendy's fears. But even as the guild celebrated their team selection, none of them noticed the tiny bat hanging motionless in the rafters above their heads.
Every word spoken, every gesture made, every emotion displayed was being watched. When the celebrations finally began to wind down, the bat puffed into smoke, leaving no trace that it was ever present.
~ At the same time, with Shisui ~
Several hundreds of miles away, in their designated inn within the capital city of Crocus, another group of Fairy Tail mages were engaged in their own private gathering. The atmosphere here was completely different from the guildhall's chaotic energy.
Laxus sat slouched in a comfortable chair, his feet propped up on a low table. Gajeel occupied the corner of the room, his back against the wall in a position that seemed uncomfortable, but Gajeel would deny such claims and instead said it was the most comfortable position to be in. Mira had claimed the sofa, while Juvia sat nearby, her attention divided between the conversation and her own private thoughts about a certain ice mage.
Shisui rounded out the group. He was sitting on the windowsill while staring out into the capital city when a fresh set of memories had came to him.
"The 'official' Fairy Tail Team A has just been selected." Shisui spoke amusedly. "You were right, Laxus. The old man really did choose who you said he would."
Laxus grunted, his expression suggesting he was insulted that Shisui had doubted his prediction in the first place. The sound drew a musical laugh from Mira, who seemed delighted by the interaction between two of their guild's strongest members.
"Juvia is so happy that Gray-sama was chosen! Now Juvia can fight alongside Gray-sama and show him how much stronger she's become!" Juvia burst out, her eyes sparkling with joy.
Gajeel's gruff voice cut through her excitement. "We're competitors, not teammates, water woman. Different teams mean we're gonna be fighting against each other, not holding hands and singing songs."
The reminder caused Juvia's expression to crumple as the reality of the situation sank in. While Gajeel and Juvia bickered in the background about the semantics of guild loyalty versus team competition, Mira's attention had shifted to far more interesting prey. Her smile took on a predatory quality that anyone who knew her well would have recognized as dangerous.
"So... Ultear, huh?" She said innocently, her voice carrying just enough teasing inflection to make Shisui's cheeks flush red.
The effect of dropping that name was immediate and dramatic as Gajeel and Juvia stopped their argument mid-sentence, both turning to stare at Shisui. Even Laxus looked mildly interested, though he tried to hide it behind his usual mask of bored indifference.
Juvia's reaction was the most animated. She stared at Shisui for a long moment before bursting into comical tears, wailing about how unfair it was that even Shisui-san had managed to secure a romantic relationship before she could win Gray's heart.
Shisui laughed embarrassedly, running a hand through his hair as he tried to deflect the attention. "How did you even find out about that?"
"Pure coincidence." Mira replied with a grin.
"I stumbled across you two during a very romantic picnic in the woods last week. You looked so sweet together. How long has that been a thing?" She pressed, clearly enjoying his discomfort.
"Just over two months now." Shisui admitted in a mumble.
"Ah... to be young and in love." Mira sighed dramatically, her expression one of exaggerated wistfulness.
Laxus deadpanned without missing a beat. "He's technically the oldest among us."
But Mira had already moved on to her next target, her attention locking onto Gajeel.
"Don't think I forgot about you, Mr. 'Shooby Doo Bop'." She said sweetly. "When are you going to confess to our cute little Levy?"
Gajeel's reaction was thunderous, immediately turning his attention towards Mira's accusation. "I DON'T HAVE FEELINGS FOR THE SHRIMP!"
His vehement denial only made Mira's smile grow wider. "Oh really? Then why do you get that dopey look on your face every time she smiles at you?"
The team devolved into chaos as Mira continued her relentless teasing, her questions growing more pointed and embarrassing with each passing minute, all throughout the rest of the day.
~ End of Chapter 101 ~
You can read advanced chapter on [email protected]/The_Editor982
A/N: I noticed that the fanfic got a sudden boost in popularity when it was at the Fairy Tail return arc and the subsequent Shisui vs Laxus and Gildarts arc. But after that, the traffic on this fic has gone back to normal xD Thank you to all those who stuck around xD But with this chapter, we're finally heading into the GMG!!! AND THERE IS GOING TO BE A HELL LOT OF CHANGES BECAUSE OF SHISUI'S PRESENCE! REMEMBER, FAIRY TAIL IS NOT THE DEAD LAST ANYMORE, STING AND ROGUE ARE NOT THE "i killed my dragon" EMO KIDS THAT THEY ARE IN THE CANNON SO EXPECT SABERTOOTH TO BE DIFFERENT IN TERMS OF THEIR ATTITUDE AND STUFF (But don't worry, I'll keep their Ace and Master the same bastards that they are.), AND LASTLY, SHISUI HIMSELF WOULD BE PARTICIPATING, SO OBVIOUSLY WE ALL KNOW THE RANKINGS ARE GONNA BE DIFFERENT xD