To all my lovely readers who have patiently waited so long for an update on my story A Festival In Red, the wait is finally over! That's right, I'm back with a new chapter and refreshed passion to finish this story! I just want to say how sorry I am for how long it has taken me to get back to this story. I never intended to stop writing, but time kind of escaped me and before I knew it years have gone past! (Although I will admit for most of those years I had completely forgotten about this story)

In any case, I want to thank all you readers who still support me and I hope to not disappoint you again! I do have some exams coming up, but I promise I WILL be updated this story (semi) regularly!


A variety of sweetly smelling foods wafted through the crowded streets of Balsam's market square. Lucy bounced happily from one street stall to the next, breathing in the harmony of scents each food vendor had to offer. After having already purchased a red and golden hairpin, to match the yukata she changed into after they left the hot springs, she was busily perusing a selection of festive sweets from one of the smaller stalls.

"Erza, would you like one of these also?" Lucy asked the tall redhead behind her who was wordlessly scanning the bustling crowd. She readily accepted the toffee coated apple she had bought and bowed a thank you to the vendor before turning to Erza and calling out to her again to get her attention.

"Hm?" Erza spared Lucy a glance as she distracted her from her people watching.

Lucy just waved her hand, realising that Erza wasn't interested. "I just asked if you also wanted a toffee apple."

Erza gave her a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes and replied with a "no thank you" as she turned back to the crowd. "I'd rather we find Natsu and Happy first."

Nibbling on the toffee, Lucy thoughtfully glanced out in the crowd while thinking it would be near impossible to find Natsu with so many people gathered. Looking up the street towards the centre of the market square she spotted the tell-tale tuft of pink hair. "Ah, he's right there!" she exclaimed as she raised her toffee covered apple in the air and started waving it in his direction while shouting "Natsu!"

Lucy and Erza carefully picked their way through the crowd towards the pink haired mage who looked up at their arrival. The happy smile on Lucy's face slowly fell as she realised something wasn't right. Natsu's face was ashen and his eyes slightly wider than normal, with a glassy look to them.

"Natsu?" Lucy cautiously started before Happy, who was hovering by Natsu's shoulder, quietly put a hand on her arm in a silent gesture.

"I saw Gray."

His voice was so small Lucy and Erza almost didn't hear him at all in the bustling noise of the festival around them and Lucy was sure she had misheard him. "Natsu," she started again. "What did you…"

"Gray!" Natsu exclaimed overtop of Lucy, suddenly angry at the disbelieving tone Lucy had taken. "It was Gray! He's here…"

"Gray is dead," Erza interjected with a stern but soft voice, pity lacing her words. Lucy cringed at her lack of tact while Natsu just glared at her.

"He's here," Natsu pressed, willing them to believe him. "He…" Natsu paused and looked down at cobblestone street, suddenly unsure if he should tell the others what Gray had said to him. That he wasn't Gray anymore.

"He what, Natsu?" Lucy asked softly, giving in to his insistence that their long lost and thought to be dead friend was in fact still alive and here at Fiore's Grand Fall Festival.

Natsu looked back up at Lucy and Erza and frowned, thinking back to the brief interaction he had had with the ice mage. "He was using dark magic," he finally revealed. "There was some sort of dark runic symbol on the ground. I think Gray put it there himself," he explained.

"Why would Gray be using dark magic," Lucy exclaimed, with wide fearful eyes. "That doesn't sound like him!"

Still not convinced that it was Gray who Natsu saw, Erza nodded in confirmation to herself as she said, "Because it wasn't Gray."

"It was Gray," Natsu yelled angrily at her. "I'm telling you. Why don't you believe me?"

"Natsu, I want to believe that Gray is alive," Erza started, gesturing comfortingly to Natsu. "But I don't want to believe that he had survived only to be using dark magic. In any case," she folded her arms, getting down to business. "If what you said about that dark magic is true, then we need to check this rune out and find out what it's for."

Natsu huffed at her dismissal of Gray and replied, "fine. You go with Lucy to check out the rune. I'm going to look for Gray and get some answers."

He turned on his heel and took off towards the centre of the market. Just as Happy was about to follow Erza blocked his path and turned a sharp eye on him. "If Natsu wants to chase after a ghost, so be it," she said firmly. "Instead of following him, you can lead us to where you found this rune."

Happy watched Natsu disappear into the crowd before turning to the two female mages and with a sad sigh said, "Aye, follow me."

Erza fell into step behind Happy as he led the way while Lucy spared one last glance at where Natsu had blended into the crowd before blinking back a tear and turning to follow the blue cat.


Natsu sighed angrily as he jostled his way through the throng of people. He couldn't comprehend why Erza and Lucy didn't believe that he had seen Gray. Sure, they believed him to be dead since their return from Balsador, but Natsu had seen him. He had spoken to him. And despite the fact that Gray said he wasn't Gray anymore, Natsu knew it was still him. So why didn't the others trust him when he said Gray was alive?

Natsu was so wound up in his thoughts that the icy aura that suddenly wafted past him made him choke on his shock. It felt so familiar he could almost swear the ice mage was right there with him.

Frantically looking around at the unfamiliar faces that surrounded him, Natsu spotted the source of the icy air. Standing only a few paces away and staring directly at him was Gray.

"Natsu," the familiar voice called out to him.

Natsu cautiously made his way over to the ice mage while Erza's words swarmed in his head. "Gray?" he questioned the mage carefully. "You really are Gray, right?"

"Who else would I be," the raven-haired mage asked quizzically as Natsu came to a stop right in front of him.

Natsu almost looked like he could cry as he lifted a hand to Gray's shoulder, grasping it firmly to make sure he was real.

"What's gotten into you?" Gray awkwardly laughed at Natsu's actions and brushed his hand away.

Natsu stared at him in shock. "Gray, you…" he took a step back, searching Gray's eyes for answers. "How are you here?"

Gray frowned at the question and glanced around at the festival that was continuing around them. "I don't know," he shrugged his shoulders as confusion spread over his face. "Where exactly am I?"


So there you have it! The long-awaited chapter 7 to my story. Hope you enjoyed and please leave a review!

Till my next chapter (which you won't have to wait 5 years for)!