A Prince

Chapter 19. You Barely Made It

"He did what!" Makarov spat our his beer. The little bits of alcahol spilling on to his. He jumped off and took the duvet off. "I need a new duvet," He laughed nervously.

"He snuck off for the GMG, if you outside, you can see it through the lacrimas," Mira said.

"Can I ask you for one thing, only one thing," Makarov said.

Lucy had a paper in her hand to try and make a map. They were running in and out of various rooms. "Didn't we just come here?" Wendy asked. Natsu looked at the room. An annoying song was playing in the background and a bunch of cat themed things were scattered the room. 

"Isn't this Millianna's bedroom?" Erza wondered.

"Bedroom? How can she stand the music and this creepy stuff!" Gray yelled. Erza laughed before walking into the next room. It was the inside of Cardia Cathedral. 

Another team was there.

"What do we have here? Get 'em boys!" The man yelled as they charged towards them. Erza summoned five swords and striked them at their pressure points. Lucy made a little jump of surprise. She had forgotten how much of a demon she was, but, she forgotten how much of a demon all her friends were.

"Protect Lucy, I want to surprise them with her powers," Natsu looked back at her. Lucy didn't talk back or anything. Wendy picked out a paper that one of the men were holding. 

"No, she can protect herself, she knows how to use a sword," Erza swung her over a sword.

"Since when can she use a sword?" Gray asked.

"I don't know, since now?" Lucy shrugged,

"They're making a map," She said.

"I guess everyone is doing that! Maybe if we take all of their maps, we can get out of here!" Erza said as she swung her sword around and charged towards the next room with the others.

"I don't get it," Meredy said, "There's such a big concentration of magic here! Why on Earth can't we find it!" She hissed. They were on the rooftop of the hotel they were meant to be staying at. 

"I don't get it either, maybe, they're hiding it so we can't find it, well, duh. But, Sting should have been able to find it, it is his kingdom," Ultear said.

"We might have to go in the Palace or maybe the Dome," Jellal said all of a sudden.

"Palace? Why?" They asked him.

"Think about it, it only happens at this time, every time the Princess comes here, they might target her with this!" Jellal said.

"I get it, but, let's check out the rest of the kingdom, you aren't needed tomorrow, are you?" Ultear asked him.

"Actually, yes I am, actually, I think I'm needed now," Jellal looked down. He could see Mira calling him over.

"Okay, have fun!" Meredy said as she fixed her ear muffs on properly.

"Sorry," Lucy said as she took the paper out of her last opponent's hands. 

"No you're not," The guy staggered out. She looked at the paper. 

"Hold on!" Wendy said. Lucy couldn't think. The rooms were shifting and turning and all she could do was stare at the sight. She fell through a gap between the rooms and could see Natsu had done the same as her. Gray put two of his fists together and created a path of ice. Natsu grabbed onto Lucy and held onto a wall.

"They move!" Erza said.

"I guess there's no need for a map," Lucy said as she threw away all the papers in her arms. She looked at Natsu. He was looking at his hands in worry.

"I didn't get sick..." Natsu murmured.

"Oh, I remember! He gets sick on everything, that's his defect, like all dragon slayers, but not Wendy, yet," Lucy said.

"That is correct! It is made that everyone has an even chance!" 

"Not even," Lucy said. "Both of you, you can't smell out the finish, can you?" Lucy asked them.

"Actually, I can't smell like normal," Natsu said. Wendy used her magic and soared into the sky.

"But, if we go past about three rooms and one right, we should be there," Wendy said. She landed back on her feet.

"That seems too easy," Erza said.

"It's not, with that shift, lot's of teams must have fell, and with teams like us, teams are being defeated," Gray said.

"Shut up and run!" Natsu said.

"Master, there's someone here to see you, I think you'll be glad to see him as well," Mira said as she entered his bedroom. She let the man enter. He had ginger hair and a stubble growing, a black cloak around his and a huge grin.

"I've come back, and with news,"

"Gildarts," He was in charge of spying on kingdoms and seeing if they are following the rules of the Dragneels gave out. His last assignment was to go to Princess Hisui's palace.

"I'm back, and..."

"You can go see Cana, come back when you're ready," Gildarts had shining eyes and couldn't help dashing off. "He was always fond of the timekeeper," He said.

"After all, they are family?" Mira asked.

"Yeah, they're closer than someone I'd love to get close to me," He took a sip of his beer. "I think I need a refill," He passed his mug over to Mira.

"You have become one of the top 8! Well done, you can participate tomorrow!" The little pumpkin man said. 

"Really, I bet we came first!" Gray smirked.

"No, you barely made it! You came 7th," The man said bluntly.

"We were too busy enjoying hitting people," Erza said. The little man looked at her.

"No, you were," Natsu said.

"That's right, you were torturing the poor people!" Lucy said and shivered at the memory. The man shivered as well and let them through the door.