Italics indicate thinking
Bold is for attacks
Kanji's POV
The Harvest Festival was starting soon and I had somehow gotten roped into helping Mira and Gramps get stuff for the Fantasia.
"Everybody's in the festival mood." Gramps said.
"It is that time of year." I told him.
"Everyone's excited for the Fantasia parade." Mira said "Will you and Erza be doing something together this year?" She asked me.
"I'm not sure she hasn't said anything about it yet."
"Well you two are engaged you should do something special." Mira said "Did you tell your brother yet?"
"No I haven't seen him in a while. He'd probably just make some dumb wisecrack about it." I told her "He doesn't care."
"Levy told me he's back in town."
"What!" Gramps and I both yelled.
"Is something wrong?" Mira asked.
"No, normally he stops by my house to bother me when he's in town. He didn't come by, that's odd." I told her.
"To think he'd show up now." Gramps mused as he stared off into space.
"It's getting late we should get this stuff back to the guild." I said.
LATER
I got home that night and Erza was already there, she had been moving her things over little by little the last few days.
"Hey."
"How was your shopping?" She asked.
"It was fine." I told her "Did you know my brother was in town?"
"No I didn't. Did you see him? Did you tell him about us?" she asked as I sat next to her on the couch. She was reading a bridal magazine.
She got started quickly.
"No Mira mentioned it I was just seeing. Listen I need to be the one to tell him so if you see him try and avoid the subject." I told her.
"Listen." She told me "I'm going to enter the Miss Fairy Tail contest, okay."
"Alright, it's not like you have to okay it with me."
"I know" she said leaning her head on my shoulder "But if you're going to be my husband I should let you know." She got close to my ear "I really think you love my outfit."
"You the one who always says 'wait till we get married' or 'I'm saving myself' yet now you want to be a tease?" I asked pushing her down on the couch.
"That's what makes it fun." She laughed.
"You've made me wait this long I can wait a little longer." I told her.
The rest of the night was pretty normal, we ate dinner, relaxed, and went to bed.
LATER
I was sitting with Gray, Kage and Elfman near the front of the crowd for the Miss Fairy Tail contest. A half-awake Natsu was also there but he wasn't paying attention.
"What are you doing here, you're gonna be a married man, you shouldn't be looking at other ladies." Gray told me.
"That's exactly why I'm here, my Erza is competing this year and she needs me to cheer her on." I explained
"Alright." Gray said with some skepticism
Cana was the first girl to go; all she did was change into a bikini while behind some cards.
"Wow I forgot Cana was that pretty." Gray said.
"You should like you want to get with her?" I said.
"What! No!"
Next was Juvia, she changed into a bikini like Cana had, and Gray was focused on her as well.
I don't like her he says. She's clingy he says.
Then Mira went and made her face look like Happy and Gajeel.
Not your best performance Mira.
"Now four our forth contestant, the strongest woman in Fairy Tail. Erza Scarlet!"
"YEAH ERZA!" I yelled as I jumped up from my seat.
"Calm down man." Gray said try to pull be back to my seat.
Erza came out onto the stage and re-quipped into a maid outfit.
"YES!"
"Dude you way to into this." Kage said.
"None of you look at her she's mine!" I yelled.
I saw Erza giggle up on the stage and she went back behind the curtain.
"Wow I don't know what came over me." I said sitting back down.
"He was like a man possessed." The other mumbled.
Bisca and Levy went next and then it was Lucy's turn. She came out onto the stage but she didn't get to perform before she was interrupted.
Lucy was about to start when someone else came onto the stage.
"Entry number eight." The woman said walking out "If you want to talk about Fairy, then I am the very definition."
Why is she here?
"I am beauty itself."
"Who is she?" Kage asked.
"The winner will be me Evergreen! So let's stop this pitiful contest now."
"Evergreen?"
"She came back?" Elfman added.
What the hell's going on?
"Stop messing around this is important to me." Lucy told her.
Evergreen put her hand up to her glasses.
What does she think she's doing!
"Lucy doesn't look at her!" I yelled, but I was too late.
Lucy got turned to stone in front of us.
What the hell is she doing?
Max told everyone to evacuate leaving only the members of Fairy Tail.
"What are you doing Evergreen?" Gramps yelled "You'll ruin the festival for everyone."
"What's a festival without a main event?" Ever said dropping the curtain to reveal that every girl who had competed in the pageant had been turned to stone.
Erza.
"Big sis."
"She even got Erza."
"Turn them back now!" Grandpa yelled.
"Relax old man!" A voice said as a bolt of lightning hit the stage and a figure formed.
"Laxus!"
"Freed and Bickslow!"
The Thunder God Tribe?
"Why don't we play a little game old man?" Laxus said.
"What the hell are you doing?!" I yelled.
"Shut it brat!" Laxus yelled as energy gathered above him "If you don't someone might get hurt!"
A bolt from the sky shot at Lucy "Don't!" I managed to pull the energy away from her and into my arm "Are you trying to kill her!"
"I'll be taking these girls as my hostages. I break them apart one by one if you don't follow the rules."
"Stop messing around Laxus." Gramps told him.
"Oh I'm serious. We're gonna have a little contest to see who's the strongest in the guild. The rules are simple the last man standing wins! Let's get started!"
A table flew across the room and Natsu stood up "Good, I don't understand any of that but I'm fired up."
Natsu charged forward to attack Laxus. Natsu got fried in a second and fell to the ground.
That was just sad.
"You'll have to defeat us if you want the girls freed." Evergreen said.
"It shouldn't be a problem." Bickslow pointed out "It's only four of us; you guys have more than one hundred."
"You have three hours, or the girls will turn to dust." Evergreen announced.
"Laxus…"
"The city is your battlefield! A battle starts when you find one of us."
"Stop screwing around!" Gramps yelled as he got larger.
"Stay calm and enjoy the show!" Laxus said as he blinded the crowd.
I saw through it and he started me down before pointing at his eye "You copying my look now?"
"Stop pumping you own ego and stop this. Or I'll stop you."
"I'd like to see you try."
"You're making a mistake Laxus. Don't end up like Dad. How can we ever find Lauren if you do this."
"Shut up runt! I'm not like him! And if you can't take the heat, I'll just find her myself!" He yelled as turned into lighting and fled the building.
The light faded and the room was clear. Elfman and most of the guild ran out the door to find Laxus and his gang and free the girls.
"Better go find that jerk." I mumbled as I headed to the door.
Gramps ran passed me and went to go outside only to hit a wall and be stopped in his tracks.
Freed.
"What are you doing old man?" Gray asked.
"It's a barrier. I'd wager Freed set this thing up." I told him.
"What'd you mean?" Kage asked.
"Freed's magic. He set up rules that are preventing Gramps from getting out." I put my hand out and tried to walk through and hit the wall as well "and me too it seems. It's Runes, anyone inside them has to obey its rules. In this case the rules are keeping Gramps and I trapped."
"Can't you just dispel it?" Gray asked Kage.
"No. I can't work with Runes, I never studied them." Kage explained.
Letters formed in the air around the door and wrote out the rules.
"No when over the age of 80 or stone statues can leave these walls.
The lacrima must be keeping me inside.
"These take a long time to set up so they work better as traps then for an attack." Gramps explained.
"So the two of you can't get out." Gray said running off "They planned this whole thing. Leave this thing to me."
"Gray wait!"
"Even if he is your relative, I won't hesitate to beat him senseless."
Kage watched Gray run off and started to walk off himself.
"I'll go find Evergreen; she's the one who turned them to stone so she's the only one who needs to be taken down." Kage explained as he waked off "If the girls turn back you'll know I won."
I wandered around the guild hall and checked all the statues to make sure that no off them were scratched. Erza was still in one piece so that made me feel a little better. I saw that she was wearing her ring; even it got turned to stone.
Things were just starting to become good again, now this. It's nice to see the ring on her finger, I wasn't sure if she'd wear it in case she got in a fight.
Gramps sent Natsu off to fight Laxus but he got stuck at the door to.
"Don't tell me you're over eighty!"
"Well that's not supposed to happen." I said "Freed's too smart to make a mistake that would keep you in here. You must be stone or you're over eighty."
The Runes on the door changed and said that Alzack, Jet, and Droy were fighting each other.
"Why are they fighting?" Natsu said.
Winner: Alzack
"What the hell? Did Freed set traps up all over town?" I wondered.
The board kept updating with results as the pool of combatants kept getting smaller and smaller. Natsu kept banging his head against the wall trying to break free. He kept saying he wanted to compete with the rest of the guild.
"Can you get serious?" Gramps said "Lives are on the line here."
"If we don't do something the girls will turn to dust." I told him.
"No they won't Laxus wouldn't do that." Natsu said "He can be a jerk but he's still a member of our guild."
You think it's that easy to forgive. Sometimes I wish I thought like you did Natsu. I wish Laxus and I could make up and be like we used to.
I looked at the board and it said there were only 44 competitors left.
That's almost half!
The clock kept ticking and the people left standing kept dropping lower and lower. Elfman lost to Ever, and Freed beat Reedus.
"Aww man I want to fight Freed."
"Natsu get serious!" Happy yelled "People are in danger; the girls may turn to dust."
"I'm telling you relax, Laxus is just bluffing."
"You think I'm bluffing Natsu?" Laxus said appearing behind us as a thought-form "What are you doing here Natsu, why aren't you competing?"
"I can't get out!"
"With Natsu and Kanji stuck in here and Erza turned to stone you're running out of options old man. Give up."
"Gray's still out there!" Happy said "He can win; he's just as strong as Natsu."
"Gray's not as strong as me!" Natsu yelled.
"You need to open your eyes." I told him.
"So you're putting your hopes on that guy?" Laxus asked.
"Don't underestimate Gray." I told him.
The door dinged and another result popped up.
Gray is unable to continue the winner is Bickslow
"Ha! You thought he could save you! So who's gonna beat the Thunder God Tribe now?"
"Gajeel!" Happy yelled.
"Afraid he made it clear he doesn't want to play" Laxus said.
"Once I get out of here I'm gonna destroy you." I told him.
"I'd like to see that!" Laxus laughed.
"That's enough you two." Gramps said "This is enough Laxus. I give up, stop this."
"Gramps!"
"No that's too easy. Why don't you hand the title of guild master over to me then I'll stop."
Monster.
"There's only an hour of half left before the girls crumble you better think about it quickly." Laxus said "If you want to give up use the loudspeaker to tell the whole town you're resigning."
Laxus disappeared when Natsu tried to attack him.
"What are you gonna do Gramps?" I asked.
"I don't care about the title, but I can't give the guild to Laxus, your brother doesn't have the heart to take this title from me."
"If we don't do something the girls will turn to dust." Happy said.
"Isn't there anyone who can beat Laxus?!" Gramps yelled.
"If I could just get out I could do it." Natsu and I said at the same time.
"This is my fight Natsu you better back off."
"I can do it myself I don't need you, he's too close for you to fight."
"He's my brother that's why I have to fight him!"
A crunch was heard from behind the bar. Gajeel threw his arms up on the bar and hopped over.
"I've got a bone to pick with him." Gajeel said heading towards the door "Leave it to me."
And he got stopped by the runic barrier.
"What the hell you too!"
The board updated and said there were only four people left.
"Wait a second." Gramps said "You're the only ones left!"
"No it says four and there are three of us left in here." I told him as the board updated "He's still left."
Kage vs Evergreen has started.
"This is our last chance" I said.
Kage's POV
If I stay in my shadow form, I don't trigger the Rune traps. I don't want to hurt anyone so till I find Evergreen I'm staying in the ground. The last scoreboard I passed said four people were left. I think I can go high and look for here safely.
I climbed up a building and scouted the area.
"Well it's the last one left." A woman said walking behind me.
"Just who I was looking for." I turned to face the woman.
"I supposed your sneaking dark guild tactics kept you in the game this long, but that ends now!" She said.
"I'm not a member of a dark guild anymore. Master gave me a second chance and I won't waste it! I can't let you have your way! I may have been a member of this guild for less time than you but I'm more of a member then you've ever been!"
"Keep talking yourself up." Evergreen said opening her fan "But words only have a place with Freed, now turn to stone!" she said lowering her glasses.
"Shadow Wall!" a wall of darkness blocked her from petrifying me "If I don't see them, they can't change me.
"Damn it."
The shadows covered my eyes "Shadow Visor! Did you now that since I use shadow magic I can see through them! Your eyes can't directly see mine but I can still see you. The magic you use needs to make direct contact with my eyes, that's why you wear the glasses to block them from making contact with every person you pass. I'll beat you without having to look directly at them."
"You Eisenwald freak I don't need my eyes to beat you; I have plenty of other ways to end you."
"Bring it on bitch!"
AN
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Till Next Time!