Freed's hand was shaking as he put up the last of the runes around the guild hall. These would be the linchpin in the entire network of runes he had erected for Laxus's plan to cleanse Fairy Tail.
Seeing Fae again had rattled him more than he'd expected. He'd managed to avoid thinking about how much Laxus' plan would hurt her, to convince himself it was the right thing for the guild, but it was obvious, really, what she'd think.
They're her family.
Fae regarded everyone in Fairy Tail as her family. The only family she had in the world.
Freed was only that close to the other members of the Thunder Legion, Laxus and Fae herself. In all of this, he had been carefully deluding himself into forgetting that this plan wouldn't just hurt Fae, it would destroy her. She had no real concept of how powerful or useful the various mages in the guild were. Rather, she didn't care. She was a child, to her, all of them were powerful. All of them were important to her.
The guilt wracked Rune Wizard hesitated.
All of them.
There was no way this could end without Fae getting hurt.
Just imagining her hurt, betrayed expression was enough for his focus to waver and the runes he had written to fade, useless now that they hadn't been linked into the entire working.
Is...is there really no other way...?
He had sworn that he would assist Laxus in his ambition to restore the guild to it's rightful place. But how could he do that if it meant Fae would lose any and all trust she had in him? The thought of losing that was crippling in its intensity. As was the sensation of being completely trapped.
He had no options...he had gone too far to back out on Laxus now, but he wouldn't be able to look Fae in the eye if he kept at this.
They won't die. He justified to himself. He tried to keep moving, keep working. Nothing will change, they'll still be there.
A small voice in his mind called him a liar. This would change everything. It was meant to change what was happening and it would. Events were already in motion to ensure that.
"Freed?" Laxus' voice made the green haired young man flinch slightly. "What's up?"
"N-nothing." The taller wizard gave him a flat look.
"C'mon, I don't need to be the squirt to know you're lying." Fae is exactly the problem here. Laxus actually looked a little thoughtful. "Kinda surprised she didn't jump on me soon as she knew I was coming. She's got a knack for that..."
"Ah...she was using a meditative technique to tune out distractions in order to work on a new spell." Freed's heart stuttered a tiny bit at the grin that spread across the Lightning Wizard's face.
"That kid never stops working." He certainly sounded as though he approved. He looked at the runes that still hovered in the air in the doorway, a tiny frown on his face. "She's gonna be right in the middle of all this..." For a moment, Freed was hopeful. Hopeful that Laxus would tell him that everything was off and they wouldn't go through with this. That he'd be out of this obligation without needing to hurt his apprentice...
"Put up some extra wards." Laxus said finally. "No matter what happens to the rest of the barriers, Fae doesn't leave the hall. She'll get flattened if she gets caught up in the fighting."
"Right away..."
Freed was glad that Laxus couldn't read his wards and simply trusted him, since those had actually been the first wards he set up. Once everything was active, no one under the age of twelve would be able to leave the guildhall. And that rule was completely separate from the other wards. It would have to be taken down separately. He was layering them so hopefully, Fae wouldn't find the runes and would stay safe for as long as possible. Freed was not an idiot, unlike most of the rest of the guild. He knew that there would be some people who wouldn't rush out and would stay inside and work out someway to break the barrier that was keeping the Master trapped inside and unable to interfere.
Actually, Fae would be foremost among them.
And she was familiar with his personal style of runes, and her magic was practically made for breaking down enchantments or wards. This one feature of her gifts which he was always so proud of could very well make it so that no matter what he did, she would get out somehow. Thus if she was caught inside the guild hall, he was running the risk of everything being taken apart much faster that he anticipated.
She's already progressed much faster than I thought. This could...
He'd have to put still more enchantments to make sure that Fae would stay well out of the fight. More things for her to work through. It wouldn't take long for the rest of the rabble to break themselves against one another. Then he could come back and let her out and pray that she wouldn't hate him...too much.
I'm sorry, Fae...I'm so sorry. Please forgive me...
Freed hadn't been too eager to teach her when the master had asked him to take a hand at first. It was an orphaned foundling who appeared to have some kind of magic. It had hardly seemed worth the bother of needing to break off of missions and return to the guild on a semi regular basis.
And now, two years later, he had a beautiful little student who admired him and looked up to him. Loved him. A girl who he adored in turn, who was a constant source of delight and pride with each new horizon she broke in her unique way. Freed would say without reservation, or shame, that he adored his apprentice.
(Some people, mostly Bickslow, had remarked that given their similar hair color and abilities, they might very well be related somehow.)
As her master, mentor, teacher and friend, it was his duty to see to it that she learned only the very best, explored without coming to harm and made the most of her life.
Freed kept working, trying to ignore the growing sensation that he was sacrificing something that was worth far more than his loyalty to Laxus.
-vVv-
The Harvest Festival was a big event for Magnolia. And it was always enormous fun for all people involved. It began on October 15th and lasted a whole week, There were games, booths, a fair for merchants to display their wares, and of course, the Fantasia Parade that Fairy Tail put on every year.
Everyone in the guild was busy preparing for the parade and there were already people piling in to get a seat for the Miss Fairy Tail contest.
"I still think you should enter the contest, Fae. You're really popular all things told." Mira said, running a brush carefully through my hair.
"It's not really my thing." The contest was an easy way to generate revenue with very little effort on the guild's part. Not only did the onlookers pay a few jewels to attend, but contestants paid too, albeit not much, and it all contributed to the whole pot. The 500,000 jewel reward offered for contestants was only about half of the money that it brought in all told. And that was in the smaller guild hall too.
"Aw, are you sure? I know I heard a lot of people out there who would vote for you...~!"
"Mira, don't be silly. The people who come to pay to watch the contest are older guys. They're not interested in seeing a kid when they can see you guys." Fan service. Fan service everywhere. Mira bopped me lightly on the head with the brush.
"You're too young to be thinking like that! Cleanse your mind of such thoughts!" I threw her a flat look over my shoulder. With magic like mine, getting something out of my head was far easier said than done.
She had insisted on dolling me up for the day. To put it briefly, I now looked the part people had always jokingly assigned me. Mira had somehow gotten her hands on an orange and green fairy costume. My skirt was a mixture of orange, yellow and green maple leaves, and the green gossamer shirt featured a small shoulder cape in dark amber. It was pretty...but the skirt was also somewhat uncomfortable to wear. Ever since I'd started flying, I was very aware of the air around me, and autumn was a traditionally blustery season in Magnolia. Not to mention that skirts and flying had the potential to be a rather embarrassing combination... I was definitely going to have to insist on a pair of pants under the skirt.
Something was odd though. Mira liked playing dress up with me sometimes, and I was OK with it. It was how we bonded, really. But she normally wouldn't push my comfort zone this much...
I checked her past a little bit, feeling for something that felt like this situation, to know why I was even being put through this.
I caught a glimpse of Mira going to sign up for the contest, and filling out two participation slips.
...It's too late. She's already gotten me in.
I didn't even need magic to state her motive.
"You just don't want Erza to win again."
"Come on Fae!" She said in a tone that sounded only slightly too bright and cheerful as she pushed me out of the room and started hauling me to the guild hall. "I've already paid your fee and everything! All you gotta do is show up and be your usual cute self and she loses- I mean, you win!"
"Miraaaaa!"
-vVv-
I got a lot, and I mean a lot of compliments as we walked to the guild hall. Mira had entered the contest, but I don't think she was doing much more than a token appearance.
"You're mean, Mira. I don't wanna be in the contest! And this damn skirt really breezy-!" She flicked me on the forehead.
"Mind your language, Fae. I know it's probably hard to hang around Gray and Natsu without picking up some of their habits, but you can't go cursing like they do."
"I'm serious! I feel like pedophile bait in this thing!" The mixed green and orange costume was reminiscent of leaves changing their colors for the seasons. I liked it...but I would have liked it more if I hadn't been forced to wear it.
"If you're that uncomfortable, then why don't you modify it?"
"Shouldn't changing out of it be an option?"
"Nope! You're already signed up, there's no getting out of it!"
"You're evil..."
"She-devil~!"
I eventually fell silent as we wound our way through the streets. I was thinking fiercely about the anticipation in the air. It wasn't the happy light hearted stuff that I had always felt when coming into the festival, or at least not just that, there was something a little darker underneath it and it was being slippery...
"Aww, it's Faerun!"
"She's adorable!"
"Like a real life fairy!" Mira lapped up the praise as if it was her they were complimenting.
"Thank you! If you want to show your support, come and vote for Fae at the Miss Fairy Tail contest!" There came an eager blend of babble at this pronouncement and I sensed a lot of energy. Mostly I saw a lot of girls and kids my age and younger looking at me with wide eyes, smiling and waving.
Many of them admire you. I may not have been a registered wizard, but I was still a wizard. A kid who was running with the top guild in the country as one of them and not a mascot. Not a bystander, but a member. It gave them a little hope, made them dare to dream of reaching out for a little more. The sincerity and joy made me blush quite a bit and I managed to wave at some of the younger crowd with almost no hesitation.
Both young and old seemed to like that as a new surge of excited chatter swept over us. I caught plenty of people looking at Mira, and at me. I had gotten used to being stared at for story night, but this was a new kind of uncomfortable.
"How do you stand people looking at you like that?" I asked my companion, keeping hold of her hand. "It feels like they want to eat you." Or, it feels like they're going to eat me!
"I just think of who I represent and who's got my back." The She-devil said cheerfully. "I may not be much in a fight anymore, but there are a lot of people I know that are. And anything that tries to take a bite out of me will end up with a little more than they can swallow."
That was certainly true. Jellal, and whoever had been puppeteering him, had learned that lesson first hand. His first mistake was trying to make Erza the victim. His last was not figuring out how to stop his plans from imploding once Fairy Tail came back in full force to rescue us. (Since it hadn't been his idea to abduct me, I wasn't going to lay that one at his feet. That was mostly on Wally and his friends.)
Just thinking about it made bearing the stares a little easier. They were just looking, there literally was nothing they were doing that was hurting me in anyway! And if they did on accident, then it was an accident. If it was on purpose, then...well... I had a lot of ways to blow something up with the brainstorming I had done to make Gandalf's staff. And for anything I missed, I knew a couple people who would be willing to help.
With that new confidence, I could stand up to my admittedly not impressive height beside Mirajane, and walk like I had something to show. With my nerves out of the way, moving with a spring to my step was a far cry easier. The energy and excitement was high with anticipation and all dark shadows had flown the coop.
"That's it, Fae! We'll make a model of you yet!"
"No thank you..." I muttered. Freed's gonna flip...This would definitely qualify as indecent in his mind. Not the attention, but the outfit. And while I all but knew he was gay for Laxus, he was always in attendance for this contest...
Now there was a thought. Since I'd decided to enjoy the contest, I may as well point out that little detail to Mira. She was clearly anticipating pitting me against Erza in the contest and had a wicked little smirk on her face. Time to bust her bubble. Petty vengeance is mine!
"You're dealing with Freed." The Rune Mage would not be happy with my outfit, no matter how willing I had been. Mira would no doubt be fine, but the tantrum he would throw would be entertaining nonetheless.
Her smile faltered for a split second before returning.
"Worth it!"
-vVv-
Getting through the crowd and entering the guild hall was tough going. But once Mira said why I had to get back there, a path cleared soon enough. Actually, Macao swept me up on his shoulders and carried me there as the people started to get a little more thickly packed.
"Fae? You're competing too?" Lucy blinked up at me in her blue cheerleader's outfit. "You look really cute in that!" I smiled back at her from my perch.
"Thanks, but I can't take any credit. Mira set me up. I'd really rather be in the audience."
Macao laughed as he swung me down once we were through the worst of the tangle of people.
"Not this time, kid. Looks like Mira's got you set up to steal the show today." He ruffled my hair. "Good luck! You definitely got my vote for today!" He then disappeared, no doubt to find Romeo. This left me with Lucy as we started to work our way towards the back of the crowd and the stage we'd be performing on.
"Macao's right. I figured this wasn't your thing." Lucy looked over my outfit again before grinning. "But seriously, you look amazing! You're going for a literal 'fairy' theme there." I shrugged, plucking at the gauzy orange and brown leaves that edged my skirt.
"It does look nice, but it's a little more than I'd usually wear." I liked plain pants with lots of pockets, short sleeves and sturdy shoes. Stuff that was comfortable and easy to move around in. I looked at my skirt and half exposed shoulders. "Or rather, a little less." Hence why Freed would flip out. Living with Evergreen in general made his stress levels climb through the roof.
Freed actually only pretends to be uncomfortable. He likes it.
I knew he wasn't completely gay!
"Well, between you and Mira I can kiss my chances of winning goodbye then." Lucy sighed. "That sucks, the prize money would have paid my rent for months!"
"I can't argue with you on the winning part but I don't think it's gonna be Mira you have a problem with." I inspected my rune bracer and focus tool, fidgeting with them slightly. "See, for the last five years, it's been Erza who wins this thing by a landslide."
"She's in this too!?" Lucy yelped, looking distraught at the news. "I thought for sure this wouldn't be the kind of thing she'd get involved in!"
"Nope, she's been in this as often as Mira. They first did it together on a dare and it brought in so much revenue and good publicity they decided to keep it up. And Erza's got a whole bunch of storage she's got to maintain to keep her different suits of armor in, so her rent is a pretty big deal even with the jobs she can take."
"But I thought she just carried it all around in her magic!"
"You've seen how much luggage she always takes with her and you assumed she can just put it all into hammerspace at the drop of a hat?"
"Well...I guess...Wait. what do you mean 'hammerspace'?"
"It's from my stories. Extra dimensional storage not linked to the limits of the physical container. Or something being bigger on the inside if that makes more sense." Lucy sighed, rubbing her forehead.
"Not really getting it, but I'm starting to get used to that, being in this guild." I giggled, grabbing her hand and towing her forward to where we could see what was going on on stage.
"Oh believe me! It's only gonna get worse!"
"I was afraid of that...How could anyone possibly think that it was a good idea to raise a kid in this place?"
"I don't know. I don't think I'm turning out too bad... Now, hush, they're starting!"
-vVv-
Cana was up first, using her magic to swap her clothes for a bikini. it was actually an impressive display of skill, since she didn't have Requip magic but had to copy it with her cards. In any case, she always got involved with this contest and she was rather popular.
It's a good way to get guys to buy her drinks.
Her motivation for participating wasn't just the prize money. Cana's bar tab was a truly monstrous thing to behold. Almost 60% of the booze the guild bought was drunk by Cana. Erza joined Lucy and I in the wings and gave her own commentary, wondering under her breathe if she shouldn't go for that angle as well.
"Erza, if you ended up in a bikini with that many people out there, you know they'd start up the petition for you to model for Sorcerer Weekly again." The famous Titania went rigid for a split second a look of stricken horror on her face...
"...right, of course. Definitely not doing that then," Most of the shares for the magazine were owned by Blue Pegasus. And that meant some of their wizards were always on security duty at their photo shoots. And if Erza was snagged into posing, you could bet Cana's bar tab Ichiya Kotobuki would be there. The short, ginger nightmare of the genepool was very charming in almost any situation despite his unfortunate appearance. But if Erza was involved... he jumped from a slightly over the top charmer to a straight up nightmare for any girl with more IQ than a chipmunk. Only the fact that Blue Pegasus Guild Master and Makarov were such good friends had made it so there hadn't been charges pressed for sexual harassment. The guy just didn't seem to get that he wasn't as good looking as he thought and that when a girl punched you through a wall, that was a fairly big indicator that she didn't want to be around you.
The one time Erza had participated in a photoshoot had been when she met Ichiya. She hadn't been the same since.
Lucy looked from me to Erza, somewhat confused.
"I'm definitely missing some part of this conversation here."
"Hopefully, we'll never need to explain." I said, patting Lucy's arm. Ichiya had once said that it was impossible for there to be an ugly woman, but that 'the true jewels of Fiore can be found in Fairy Tail'. He was a freaking nightmare for any mature female wizard. He was pretty much harmless, but a nightmare nonetheless.
Being so new to the guild, no one really expected what Juvia would do, but she was definitely popular going by the enthusiastic cheering. Luckily, the tidal wave she sent flying out retreated as swiftly as it came in a deft show of control and power. It left everyone in the audience completely dry and unaltered. Unfortunately, she had also fallen into the trap of sexualizing everything. Lucy was not amused. The crowd definitely was even though the only reason Juvia was posing like this was because Gray was out there.
Let's see... I peered around the side as Mira came out. Anticipation surged up as the famous model was recognized. I spotted Gray and Natsu sitting with Elfman, who had long since gotten over the mental stress of his sister being plastered in magazines across the country. Gray was talking to Natsu and hadn't appeared to have seen much of what Juvia was doing.
Mira did exactly as I expected of her.
She completely goofed off with her transformation magic. Her act here was mostly for the guild's entertainment. Lucy was more happy that Mirajane wasn't going to be posing as she usually did, but Erza and I were biting back laughter. It was freaking hilarious to see Gajeel's face speaking with Mira's voice! I could see that the Iron Dragon Slayer had done an epic spit take. The guild members were roaring with laughter even if the more perverted crowd was disappointed.
Mira's a model and there are plenty of cameras out there. She was nothing if not business minded. If people wanted to see her in scanty attire, they would dang well have to pay for it!
"Well, looks like I'm up." Erza said, rising briskly and brushing off her skirt and standard armor.
"Good luck, Erza."
"Thank you, Fae." She rested her hand on my head briefly as she darted onto the stage to enormous applause.
"Wow, she's really popular..." Lucy remarked, slumping in depression. Poor Lucy. No rent money from this thing. I felt obligated to tell her something to make her understand and potentially cheer up.
"Given how Erza usually is, seeing her loosen up like this is a treat for everyone. It's rare enough that every time she does it, it feels like a brand new novelty."
"I guess that makes sense..."
Erza Re-quipped into a cute gothic lolita outfit that was met with roars of approval as she posed for a little bit before exiting the stage. She had gotten it in a set, and had given me a smaller one. I couldn't see Simon, but I could sense him in the crowd. Hope you liked the show! I giggled a little mischievously.
"Please tell me Simon saw that..." Lucy hissed into my ear.
"Uh-huh! If he's not careful, Natsu's gonna go sniffing for the heat source." I answered, still giggling.
"Yessss...!"
Because Simon had loved Erza for who was long before she had grown into the gorgeous woman she was today, his reaction to the outfit didn't register as a ship update. And that was something I honestly thought was freaking adorable.
From my place of the side lines, I had a pretty good view of who was there. But I couldn't see Freed. I had mixed feelings about him not being there. On the one hand, he wouldn't be able to have an aneurysm over my outfit. On the other...
He's not here...
"Now, returning to the stage not as a master storyteller, but as the Fairy Princess she is! Put your hands to together for: Celeste D. Faerun!"
I will get you for this Max. I vowed even as I skipped out, putting on as close to a genuine smile as I could in the face of my disappointment. The roar of the crowd seemed to be about as enthusiastic for me as it had been for Erza and Mira. All of the shameless guild members were trying to raise the roof, hollering my name and cheering like lunatics.
"So whatcha gonna show us today, Fae?" I grinned.
"A new trick I learned a couple weeks back!" Lifting my arms and flicking my hand to send a long, thin line of script out and into the air I guided it to spin around me until it formed my usual dragonfly wings.
I kicked off and zipped into a figure eight in midair to enormous approval from the crowd. I zipped off of the stage and flew low over the crowd, creating glittering fairy dust in my wake, hand extended for several high-fives with audience members. Gray and Natsu were particularly exuberant, whooping, laughing and generally behaving like total morons.
"Way to go, Fae!"
"Show em what you got!"
I touched one of the minor illusion runes I had attached to my bracer, a one use thing since I was still lacking materials, and made about a dozen other smaller fairies zip into the air around me.
Think of the happiest things. It's the same as having wings!~
I let out a laugh before zipping back to the stage and posing one final time in midair, to a thunder of applause before curtsying to the crowd and gliding off stage.
And my scan of the hall confirmed what I had originally suspected. Freed wasn't here for my first public demonstration...
I suppose I can't blame anyone but myself. I didn't tell him that I was gonna be participating, after all. I didn't see that Mira was conniving to get me in.
Lucy was giving me a big thumbs up from off stage opposite us, grinning happily and mouthing 'great job'.
Erza was waiting for me, looking very amused, still clad in her own costume. The black and white outfit coupled with her long, ruby colored hair made for a striking combination.
"Very nicely done, Fae. Shall we go change?"
"Can't we wait for Lucy?" I dismissed my wings, knowing that I'd probably find some excuse to use magic later in the day. I wanted to save as much as I could.
Evergreen has arrived.
Oh...that's nice. Freed said she and Bickslow were gonna show up sometime today. So why did this update give me this uncomfortable pins and needles sensation?
"Certainly. I must say, I am looking forward to seeing what she will come up with."
"She looks like a cheerleader and she had some pompoms on hand. I also saw her working out a little routine with a couple of her spirits when I held her hand earlier." further proof that there was no such thing as a real secret for me.
"Interesting."
Erza and I stood together as we watched Levy take the stage with her Solid Script producing a variety of objects, sights and sounds, all seemingly made of the very things they described. Jet and Droy shouted themselves hoarse to support her. Hopeless...
GaLe will triumph. I resisted the urge to smack myself across the face.
Damnit, not another one! Where'd you come from anyway?
The answer came in the form of showing Gajeel moving to defend Levy from Laxus's lightning bolt. Not hesitation, no flinching. Just a solid wall between her and the man who had attacked her out of the blue.
Oh...I suppose that makes a little sense...actually...no it doesn't, who am I kidding? She's still scared of him!
GaLe will triumph. The way it said this made it feel like time would go backwards before this changed.
OK, OK! I get the message!
Bisca took the stage then, confidently demonstrating her Requip magic and her honestly somewhat scary accuracy. I think Alzack was drooling a little at what Bisca showed. His pining was getting kinda pathetic actually. I was just waiting for Bisca to stop being old fashioned and just propose to him herself. It wasn't likely that he would say anything, he was too shy.
"Lucy's next!" I said, bouncing a little on my heels. Erza's low laugh sounded behind me.
"I know Fae, just calm down and we'll see what's going to happen."
The previous contestants have all been petrified.
The words made my breath jerk out of my lungs in a gasp as part of the secret that Laxus had been keeping unraveled and I could see it all.
The plans to start the Battle of Fairy Tail, pitting friends against friends by holding the women hostage.
The dozens upon dozens of traps scattered around all traffic high areas of the city, tuned into the wizards of this guild. Designed to make it so only one of them could leave.
Survival of the fittest.
Betrayal, cold, keen and biting shot through my chest. For the first time in my memory, I was angry. Furious. Outraged. Sick with anger.
"Fae, what is it?" Erza had swiftly pulled me back, her hands resting on my shoulders as she looked at me with great concern. "You've gone dark, literally, what is it?"
Looking down, I saw the air around me had indeed darkened to a dark, angry red streaked with black.
"Evergreen turned the other girls to stone...!" I whispered, trembling with rage as I forced my visual display of emotion into dormancy once again. "Laxus is gonna try and take over the guild, he's holding them hostage to make everyone fight one another until Master steps down-"
"WHAT!?" Suddenly my rage seemed pale and wan in comparison to the unholy wrath that tore across Erza's face. What made it all the more terrifying was that her whisper of a snarl impacted me with all the force of roar. It was accompanied by intense magical pressure that splintered some of the boards beneath her feet before Erza reined herself in.
"Fae, when is-" I felt her coming. Her intent solidifying into present purpose
"Erza has to be taken out and put as a hostage. She's too much of a wildcard to let her stay free for any reason."
Laxus's voice drifting through my magic from the past was the damning nail in the coffin. This had been what he was keeping from me. What I deliberately wasn't looking for! He had taken my trust and fried it to ash without even hesitating.
He will not get away with this.
My mind snapped to a cold, crystalline clarity. My gaze focused on Evergreen, who was approaching Erza as if nothing were wrong. Traitor. I automatically shifted my gaze to her collar, away from her eyes and magic.
Visual magic. Requires eye contact on both sides in order to take effect. Cut off even one side of it, and its effect is greatly reduced.
"Behind!" Erza was a professional in every sense of the word, so there was neither wasted movement or time as she reacted to my warning. In a smooth motion, she spun, re-quipping a heavy gauntlet on her hand as she was moving. Erza delivered a heavy sucker punch to the other woman's middle, forcing the breath from her lungs in a whoosh. But Evergreen wouldn't go down that easily and Erza would be at a disadvantage as long as she had to fight blinded.
Solution: Blind her.
My magic had been enough to do it before, and it would be enough now.
My hand was moving before I realized it, a familiar spell already coming to my lips in a low hiss that wouldn't be heard by anyone in the crowd.
"Obscuro!" An amber rune flashed into being and a black blindfold flashed across our traitorous guildmate's deadly eyes, keeping Erza from being petrified and causing a squawk of surprise to emit from the would be attacker. Erza followed her initial attack up with another heavy blow, this one an uppercut to Evergreen's chin. This didn't knock her unconscious, to her credit, but it did lay her out for an instant and that gave me enough time to act again, pointing and snarling the incantation.
"Silencio!" Before she could so much as emit a squeak, my magic slammed into her, it's power very much amplified both by the focusing tool I wore and my own anger. Her mouth was open and attempting to call, say something, anything. But not so much as a breath of noise emerged as a single orange rune floated before her mouth. Before even Erza could act, I picked up a spare coil of rope from the curtains and tossed it at Evergreen.
"Incarcerous." If I didn't count on my magic to handle everything, I could expect a spell to last much longer. Only relying on the spell to tie her up effectively would go a long way towards extending its usefulness.
"Well done, Fae." Erza said coldly, she was in commander mode. "Now that that's taken care of: When was the plan supposed to kick off and who else is in on this?" I lifted a hand to my temple, closing my eyes as I searched...
"As soon as all hostages were secure. Besides Evergreen and Laxus, Bickslow and Freed are also involved." The last name made the glowing runes on the rope binding Evergreen flex a little tighter responding to my betrayed feelings. I got it back under control with a little effort. For all that she was doing this, I didn't want to hurt any of my guildmates.
And she was my guildmate. Which was exactly why I was so furious.
"You stay here and watch Evergreen. I must inform the Master. This has to be done discreetly. Understood?"
"Yes ma'am."
Erza slipped out from backstage even as Lucy did a cute little cheer with Virgo and Plue about Fairy Tail. The crowd was loving it, chanting the count along with her. I would have enjoyed this much more if this hadn't just happened.
I sensed Evergreen was ranging somewhere between irritated at having been caught and foiled so easily and slightly wary of the cold hardness in Erza's tone. Not even facing Phantom Lord had made her sound like this. But this was far more close to home than Phantom Lord, their attack notwithstanding.
I glanced down at the bound, gagged and blinded woman before deciding another measure of security was needed. Once Erza walked away, I crouched and held my hand over her head.
"Slytha." Evergreen was very good at what she did. She was easily one of the more cunning members of the Thunder Legion even if her ego tended to negate whatever advantage this gave her. I wasn't about to run the risk her pulling off a spell to free herself even while she was mute and blind.
She dropped off to sleep with some resistance, but not nearly as much as if she had seen what I had been doing and known what was coming.
I just stayed there, shaking slightly and trying to keep my burning anger from enveloping my magic. I had been warned multiple times about what could happen if I let my anger control my magic instead of my desire to simply be.
I'd been scared at the Tower of Heaven, and that resulting surge of extra power had helped me get to help so I could get out alive.
I wasn't scared right now.
I was furious.
If I let my anger control how I used my magic, then I would hurt someone.
"Fae it actually went- Ohmygosh! Fae!" Lucy had finished and Max was closing out the contest and dispersing the crowd to go and enjoy the festival. Votes would be tallied in two hours. I was turning my attention away from my anger and searching for the entirety of the plan. Everything that had been set up in preparation for it. The whole city spread out in my mind's eye, each trap marked and plain to be seen.
The Celestial Spirit Mage had her hand on my shoulder, eyes wide and very confused.
"Fae, what's going on?"
"We're at war again, Lucy." I said, my voice flat and dead. "But this time, our enemies are inside the guild."
My family...Laxus...what are you doing my family? What did we ever do to you?