The bonds of the soul

Chapter 7: Qualifying round

Once Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Happy, Sting, Rouge, Frosch and Lector finished eating they all decided that instead of shopping they decided to head back to their hotel room. The room was thankfully big enough that they could have controlled spars to work off some of the anger they had from seeing the Sabertooth members. 
"Okay you guys enough sparring we should get some rest before midnight so that we aren't tired when the elimination round starts. I also organized room service to come at eleven so we have time to eat and let it settle" Lucy said as Natsu once again pinned Sting down who was pouting.
"You always think of everything, thank you" Rouge said with a dip of his head and a slight smile.
"Well with you guys being dragon slayers and a demon slayer you all have big appetites so I figured it would be easier for you guys to eat instead of having to compete on an empty stomach. I'm going for a shower then I'm coming back to sleep so this room better be back to normal when I get back" Lucy said as she grabbed her sleep clothes and headed towards the showers. The boys looked around the room and saw that all the furniture was all over the place and they didn't want to even think about the fact that their pillows and blankets were spread all over the room. Moving quickly all of them put the room back to the way it was before they started before they all decided to head for a shower leaving the exceed's to watch the room. 

When Lucy got back to the room she smiled as she saw Frosch was curled up on Rouge's bed sleeping already, Lector was waiting for Sting to get back before heading to bed and Happy was curled up on Lucy's bed. It didn't take long for Lucy to fall asleep when she laid down hugging Happy to her but she did vaguely remember hearing the boys return. The room was silent as all of them slept peacefully until of course that peace was broken by tiny whimpers that soon grew in volume.
"Luce, hey Luce wake up. It's okay you're safe it's okay" Natsu said as he got up racing for Lucy's bed but he knew better then to touch her when she was having a nightmare.
"Lushee, it's okay we are all here and there is no one else here" Happy said gently placing his paw on her face and Lucy jolted awake. After waking up a tiny bit more Lucy looked at the bed spread around her trying to hold her tears back. Even now she still had nightmares about that day and they weren't likely to ever stop but thanks to her friends they were more bearable.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you guys up" Lucy whispered and even though she wasn't loud her voice still cracked as she tried to hold her tears back.
"It's fine, we don't mind" Sting said.
"We still have an hour until the room service is due to arrive, would you like me to read to you?" Rouge offered.
"Would you?" Lucy asked meekly.
"Of course" said Rouge as he grabbed the latest book that he had been reading before cuddling close to Lucy. He wasn't the only one as Gray got up and cuddled into the opposite side of Lucy. Natsu and Sting then curled up with their heads on Lucy's lap hugging her around the waist and to top off the cuddling puppy pile the three exceeds curled up in Lucy's arms. All of the tension seemed to leave not just Lucy but all of them as they listened to Rouge reading to them.
"Excuse me, room service" called a voice as the person knocked on the door. Groaning Sting pushed himself up and headed to the door to get their food before heading back to the bed.
"Okay sit up so that you can eat" Sting said as he handed each of them the different food that they liked.
"You're the best Lulu, you know just what to order for us" Gray complimented.
"After all the time that I have spent with you guys including Sting and Rouge I am bound to pick up a few things" Lucy chuckled. While they ate they also discussed different things that they could have to do for the elimination round and even for the tasks each day since they were confident that they would make it through.
"You better summon Loke and you guys should get ready, I won't be able to help you out but remember that if anything does go drastically wrong I will put a stop to the games myself" Natsu said and they all nodded as Lucy grabbed Loke's key out and summoned him.
"Don't worry I will make sure that no one ever hurts Lucy again, we have all changed the magic around our keys so that no one but Lucy can touch our keys unless they have been given permission from Lucy" Loke said as he appeared in his normal black suit and glasses looking a lot better now.
"Welcome guilds from all across Fiore to another chance to prove that your guild is the strongest in Fiore. In just a few minutes the elimination round will start and eight guilds will be chosen to compete for the title of number one guild in Fiore. Now then let's go over the rules for the elimination round, this year's elimination round will be a race against time as well as a scavenger hunt. Hidden around the city of Crocus there are eight different booths set up, to qualify you must visit each booth and get a specially marked item before making your way to the arena of the Grand magic games. You are allowed to take another team's items but you must have all eight different items to win so best of luck Kabo" the pumpkin mascot, Mato announced before a flare went off.
"Well how do you want to play this?" Gray asked, looking towards Lucy, Gray, Rouge and Loke since Natsu had taken the exceed's downstairs to watch the other teams on a lacrima.
"I say we just track them down, it won't be that hard" Sting shrugged.
"We know the smell of Mato from last year so we can just follow that" Rouge explained.
"Then let's get going" said Gray and they all jumped out of the hotel window with Sting in the lead. 

On their way around to the eight different places that Mato's scent was coming from they ran into a few guilds that tried to challenge them but they were easily dealt with. Soon enough they had all of the items that they needed and headed to the grand magic games arena and was greeted by the pumpkin mascot, the other announcer and two magical council members that were familiar to Gray and Lucy.
"Mest? Lahar?" Gray asked as they handed their items over.
"Mm you two seem familiar and my name is Dorenbolt" said Mest well Dorenbolt.
"They are from Fairy tail, Gray Fullbuster an ice-make mage and Lucy Heartfielia a celestial mage" Lahar sighed.
"We aren't from Fairy tail, maybe we were once in fairy tail but not anymore" Gray barked out with a heavy glare as he grabbed his shirt and pulled it up to show the Dragon's Heart mark. Gray's mark was dark black with white edges and it was on the left of his chest where his old Fairy tail mark had been. Lucy's mark was on the right of her stomach in gold with black edges but she made no move to show them her mark. Sting's mark was black with white edges on his left arm while Rouge's was white with black edges on his right arm. Even Loke had a part that was on the left of his stomach that was blood red with gold edges.
"I see you are Dragon's heart, a rather new guild kabo, congratulations you are the first to arrive and in a record breaking time as well" Mato congratulated them.
"Thank you, is there anywhere that we should wait?" Lucy asked softly. 
"You may head back to your hotel for the night and be back here at Eight in the morning when the first day of the games begin" the other announced smiled and they nodded and began to walk off.
"Can I ask you something before you leave? If it's okay?" Dorenbolt asked.
"Ask away but don't think we will answer your question just because you asked it" Sting warned with a glare. 
"Why did you leave your guilds if you were just going to make a new guild?" Dorenbolt asked, getting scowls and scoffs in return.
"We didn't leave our guild, we were kicked out of Sabertooth for being too weak" Rouge said, grabbing Sting's arm to stop his answer since Dorenbolt was only curious and had meant no harm.
"Fairy tail is nothing but a guild full of backstabbers and idiots other than a few of them" Gray scoffed and Lucy had a hold of his arm so that he also didn't over react.
"Let's head back before they get worried and come looking for us" Loke advised as he ushered them out of the door. The others easily followed Loke's idea to head back to the hotel after all if they took too long Natsu would come looking for them and all that would result in was them getting disqualified for Natsu beating the other guilds up.
"So how did you go?" Natsu asked as they walked into their hotel room and saw that the fire dragon slayer was waiting there with the three exceed's.
"It was way too easy" Sting sighed.
"I have to agree I was expecting at least some sort of a challenge but it was easy then I thought it was going to be" Rouge agreed.
"We were expecting to run into at least one powerful guild but we only ran into small time guilds, I was looking forward to beating the hell out of Sabertooth or Fairy tail" Gray glared.
"We were the first to arrive and qualify, I am glad that we didn't run into Fairy Tail or Sabertooth after all it will be better if we destroy them in the GMG's when they have nowhere to hide" Lucy pointed out.
"That's my princess so sweet and smart" Loke complimented while patting Lucy's head, making her tilt into it. Over the two years that they had spent training everyone had noticed that Lucy liked to have her hair ruffled or patted while being complimented.
"You should let the rest of the spirits know that we passed and that they should ready themselves for when I have to call on them" Lucy commented once she pulled away from him.
"They already know to be ready for when you call them but I will report back to them to let them know that we qualified, I'll be back before eight so get some more rest" Loke said before he went back to the celestial world. Lucy, Gray, Rouge and Sting then told Natsu and the exceed's what had happened along with which small guilds they had versed before they decided to all head to bed, it was going to be a long day tomorrow full of surprises.