Italics indicate thinking

Bold is for attacks

Kanji's POV

"Wah!"

Erza and I were getting pushed around by Minerva. In this tiny form I couldn't create much more than a little static, barely a spark. My clothes were oversized, Erza had no armor and I was still half stuck under my coat.

"Haha!" Minerva laughed "You two are nothing but mere children."

Damn bitch, she want's to beat Erza but she uses tactics like this?

Minerva was basically ignoring me and focusing her attacks on Erza, kicking her around.

"I'll crush you into dust, all to wipe away the embarrassment from the Grand Magic Games!"

"HYA!"

I jumped up, I might be small but I still got a few tricks.

"HA!"

I pulled back and punched Minerva in the face.

"Ugh!" she groaned rubbing her chin.

"Keep your hands off my wife." I glared.

"RAHHH!"

Minerva snapped her fingers and I was blow back by an explosion.

"Kanji!"

That was pretty stupid. I can't really fight back like this; we need to take care of who ever made us like this first.

I got up and slapped Minerva's back while she was distracted by Erza. My pathetic state only allowed me to frizz up her hair.

"You're getting annoying." She said throwing me to the ground "I'm trying to kill Erza here. But before I do that…" she looked at Erza "Plead for your life. Do that and maybe, just maybe I'll spare you weak lives."

"I would never bow to someone like you, a wizard who's lost her pride." Erza glared back "Magic was created to protect those important to you, there's still hope for you…"

Minerva started speaking in a strange language, and then she got ready to slash Erza in two. It was at that moment I felt all my power come rushing back and saw Erza was…growing.

This is really awkward.

"My body!"

"Alright!" I yelled.

Erza sprung up and kicked Minerva in the face.

"RAHHH!"

I drilled her with a gut punch, sending her flying back with lightning.

"Fine." Minerva smirked "I prefer you like this. But I think first you should probably do something about your clothes."

I looked over, Erza shirt…only covered from her mid-stomach and up.

Erza's face was beet red "I don't have enough magic to change yet…"

"Here." I said draping my coat over Erza "It's better than nothing. By the way." I looked away from Minerva "You shouldn't be so vulgar. Do something about your own clothes."

"Huh?" Minerva looked down and saw she had no pants on "KYA! Where did they go."

"They're over here." Erza smiled "They got caught on me before."

"Now than." I said dashing forward "Lightning Dragon Demolition Fist!"

I managed to hit Minerva easily. Suddenly a loud noise rang out through the town and then I was all tiny again.

"What the heck?!"

"I see that fool is still alive." Minerva said.

"Uhh." Erza and I both stared at her.

"AH Even Me?!" Minerva said looking at her tiny body "Has he lost his mind?!"

She's…kinda cute.

Mere seconds later we were all restored to normal.

"What the heck is going on?!"

The village was than engulfed and a blazing heat that melted the ice.

"The Ice is melting?" Erza said.

"The others must have done it." I looked back.

Suddenly a shadow overcast us.

"This is strange, humans are milling about in the village."

I looked up and saw one of the giants was staring down at us.

"Let's take a hiatus for now." Minerva said running off "We'll settle this one day, on an even grander stage."

"Minerva!" Erza yelled after her "Don't let the darkness control you."

"You are mistaken." The woman smirked "It is I who will control the darkness."

And with that the woman ran off.

"Do you really think there's hope for someone like her?" I asked.

"I think there is." Erza smiled at me "I just have this feeling."

"Come on." I said putting an arm around her "Let's go find the others."

Later

Once we met up with the others, Natsu was already bonding with the giants.

Lauren explained that the others had freed the Eternal Flame, A dragon, and he freed the giants. Supposedly the village was frozen by and "Ice Devil Slayer"

"We got our weapons to fight back, and then we don't remember much after that." The giant said.

"That Slayer came here to kill Atlas Flame thinking it was a demon." I mumbled "Hmmm."

"All this was caused by a simple misunderstanding." Erza nodded "How odd."

"I still don't get it." Gray said "That weird guy I fought said something about opening the gates of Hell."

"Tartarus." I hummed.

"Scary." Michelle shivered.

"You were in the Oracion Sies, weren't you there ally?" Wendy asked her.

"Back when I was…a member." Michelle said "The Baram Alliance had all but crumbled, I never had any meeting with Tartarus, Midnight kept the actions of our plans to just us."

"Succubus Eye was just a subordinate." Gray said "Maybe they got sent here to protect it."

"Who cares the jobs done!" Natsu yelled.

"Yeah it is." I nodded "We'll worry about all that other junk later."

I looked at the giants, they had such imposing size, I'm sure there were even strong warriors who simply looked at the size difference and chose discretion, an intimidating aura like that must come in handy.

Lauren's POV

"Hey?" Lucy spoke up "Where'd Flare go?"

"She's back here." I said pointing behind the tree "What are you doing Flare?"

"Flare?! Are you there?"

All the giants stood up.

"Hey you have guests." I told her "They look like they wanna talk."

"I abandoned the village, never said goodbye…" she mumbled.

""So what they're not that angry." I said looking at the giants "Ehh maybe not."

"Are you really Flare?" the one giant asked "You got big, but you're still smaller than us."

"So how was it?" a different giant asked the girl.

"At first it was scary, but it was also fun." Flare nodded.

"It's the same regardless of where you are, as long as you're alive." The giant told her "No matter how far you travel, staying or leaving is always up to you."

"Yes." Flare nodded.

"Well then there's only one thing left to say." The man smiled.

"Welcome back daughter." All the giants said.

"I…I…" Flare was starting to cry "I'm home!"

That was the first time I saw Flare smile so brightly, it touched my heart. That night we partied with the giants, forgetting all about Tartarus and the other Dark Guild.

LATER

The next morning I was up early, exploring the village before we left.

"Are you getting ready to leave?"

I turned back and saw Flare.

"Yeah, we gotta get back and tell that old guy we finished the job."

I took a seat on a log and Flare joined me.

"You know my offer still stands." I told her "I don't mind if you join Fairy Tail and come stay with me for a while."

"Thank you." Flare shook her head "But…maybe another time."

"Are you sure?" I asked "I'd really like to have you around."

"I'm home for the first time in years." She said "I'd like to stay and enjoy it for a while, maybe someday."

Flare and I sat and watched the sunrise.

"Thank you Lauren." Flare said.

"Hmm?"

"For being my friend." She said "My first friend."

I just smiled back "No, thank you for being there for me."

"I don't…"

"Growing up in Raven Tail, I didn't have a lot of other kids my age around, yet alone girls, it was always training and preparing for attacking Fairy Tail. When I met you that was the first time, I really met another girl my age."

"I guess we've both changed a lot since then." Flare said.

"Yeah, we have."

"You've gotten even more beautiful." Flare smiled.

"I still look like nothing compared to you."

We both laughed.

"Well, I should get going." I said standing up "You wanna come say goodbye?"

"Mhm." Flare nodded.

We headed back and the others were all finished loading up for the trip back.

"You all set?" Big bro asked.

"Yeah."

"Are you sure you don't wanna come?" Lucy asked Flare "We'd love to have you."

"We could always use extra people around the guild." Erza said.

"Yeah come on!" Natsu yelled.

Flare brushed her hair behind her ear "I'm sorry I just…"

"It's fine." I told her "Just promise you'll keep in touch."

"I will." She said.

"The note said we just hit this leaf and the plant will bring us back." Gray said.

"Everyone ready?" Erza said.

We all nodded and she slapped the leaf. The trunk jerked and we started flying back to Warrod's house.

"Whoooo!" Natsu yelled.

"It's still such an amazing view." Lucy said.

"Well that's another job in the books." Michelle said "And another great story to tell others."

I was gripping the leaves tightly as we soared back.

"What are you crying about?" Gray asked me.

I moved my hand up and brushed a tear away "Just…gonna miss my friend."

"What's to miss." Kanji said "She's right here."

"AAHHH LAUREN HELP ME!"

My brother was holding Flare by the hair and dragging her with us.

"What are you doing?!" I yelled.

"Kanji!" Erza snapped.

"She looked kinda conflicted about not going." He said "So I took the Natsu approach and forced her."

He gave the hair a tug and Flare landed on the leaves with us.

"Well I guess you don't have much choice." I smiled.

"I guess not…" Flare sighed "I'll be coming with you then."

AN

Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated. Feel free to message me any questions or concerns.

I grappled back and forth with having Flare join the cast, you can kinda see that in the writing with how they keep asking. In the end I couldn't just write her off, I wanted her to stay.

It sounds selfish but it's my story and I did what I wanted.

Till Next Time!