Laxus's POV

Wow. For once, the Thunder God Tribe is actually helping. Laxus stared in amazement at the intricate runes creating a box on the floor. The shapes and figures glowed as they wound up to the ceiling.

"That should do it," Freed muttered, as he stepped away.

"So how exactly do these work?" the really bossy guy Levi asked.

"Well," Freed explained, "my runes create rules for a specific area. The rules here are simple. Well, not exactly. The exact rule is anyone who steps into this box will be taken back to where they were at 12 pm yesterday, a couple of minutes before the first one of you guys came here."

"Why can't you just tell them to take us back to the walls?" Levi questioned.

Freed was enjoying explaining his magic a little too much. "Exact location can be tricky, and one of us could accidentally fall in." Freed glared over at Natsu, who had caused many wrecks and explosions earlier with his wheelchair/rune collisions. That idiot didn't even notice. He was too busy trying to wheel around a pillar.

"Oy, Erza," Natsu called. "I see why you don't like this pillar."

"I don't want any of us accidentally going with you, so this works well," Freed continued. "Right, Laxus?" Freed looked at him, his eyes glowing like a 5-year-old's when they get a puppy.

"Yeah, sure, whatever," Laxus shrugged him off. Freed grinned.

"You guys are so weird," the annoying Levi guy commented. He turned around. "Gray! Clothes!" Levi snapped.

"Alright, then I guess it's time for one last round of see-you-laters, and then it's time for you all to get going," Gramps directed.

"See-you-laters?" Laxus frowned.

"Well, yes. With our luck, there's no way this is goodbye. We'll see them later." Gramps smiled.

Mikasa's POV

Mikasa was planning on grabbing Eren and making sure he had all his supplies, when something grabbed her arm. No, someone.

Lucy had fear in her eyes and talked very nervously. "Um, before you, um, go, would you, um, mind helping me, um, with my, um, celestial, um, spirits?"

Lucy had mentioned this before. "Alright," Mikasa agreed tentatively, sitting next to her. "Technically, you're their masters, so why should you need help?"

Lucy whimpered. "It's not of all them. Just, just one." She lowered her voice. "aquarius."

"Oh, I'm an Aquarius." Mikasa thought.

"No." Lucy shook her head. "This is different." Lucy muttered to herself as she pulled out a gold key with intricate blue designs. "I'm dead." Lucy dipped the key in a glass of water and turned it.

"Open, gate of the water bearer! AQUARIUS!" Mikasa held her blades close, but she didn't move. Mikasa watched in amazement as a mermaid appeared. She had a long blue fish tail and cerulean hair and held a gold jar.

"Oh, Aquarius," Mikasa realized. She sighed. Lucy was cowering in a ball next to her. What was to be afraid of with a fish? But then Mikasa took a close look at Aquarius's face. It was cold and it spat out at her.

"Who the heck are you? Eh?"

Mikasa gripped her blades. "I'm Mikasa Ackerman. Friend of Lucy's."

Mikasa pointed to the frightened Lucy, who was still whispering, "Please don't kill me! It's not my fault!"

"Oh, I'm over that now. Though I do I have to tell you, I have burn marks all over my tail and you will be providing compensation." That Aquarius was scary. Were all Aquarius's like this? Mikasa made a point to ask Eren later.

Lucy jumped up and was on her hands and knees. "Yes, yes, thank you, anything you want, as long as you don't kill me, please!"

"I was a lot madder earlier, as in kill-you mad, but I sent you a present this way. Did you like the people-eating giants?" Aquarius smirked.

"WHAT!?" Mikasa and Lucy screamed in unison.

"Yeah, I saw them terrorizing and eating people a while away, and I thought I'd see if you could survive." Aquarius giggled, clearly enjoying this.

"That doesn't make any sense!" Mikasa objected. Aquarius laughed and disappeared.

Lucy turned to Mikasa. "I'm, sorry?"

"I do not like Aquarius," was all Mikasa could say without blowing her head off. Lucy nodded in agreement.

Jean's POV

Jean was making his way towards the line of his comrades entering the runes when he was stopped by Mirajane.

"Hey, Jean," she said, "can I talk to you for a sec?" Jean nodded and they sat down at the bar.

"So, who did you lose?" Mira asked, taking his hands.

"What?" Jean was confused. What was Mira talking about?

Mira sighed. "You have the look in your eyes. You've lost someone important to you and it's not very obvious to most people. Can I pry a little and help? Who was it?"

Jean looked down. He didn't really want to talk about it. "My, my… friend, um, Marco."

Mira nodded. Jean lashed out at her. "But you wouldn't understand. Your life is perfect here."

Mira laughed. "Not really. I lost my sister, Lisanna. My whole personality changed and my brother couldn't even do magic for a while after it."

Jean raised his eyebrows. "She's over there." Jean pointed.

Mira laughed again. "It turned out she wasn't really dead. She was just transported to a world known as Edolas." Mira paused. "But I still understand the feeling. Even now, I still feel the effects of her supposed death."

Jean sighed. "But how is this supposed to help me? Wait- are you saying Marco might not be dead?" Jean sat up.

"There's always the chance. But don't completely absorb yourself in trying to bring him back because that's not my message. My message is not to let it wreck you too much. Don't let the death of Marco become the reason for your death. You will see him again someday. I promise you. These are not my words, but if you have love in your life you must keep on living."

Jean thought on her speech for a minute. "Whose words are those?"

"Juvia's."

Jean looked over at Juvia. "You mean the really weird water girl who's obsessed with the stripper?"

Mira laughed. "That's the one. And don't think on my words too much because they probably contradict each other every sentence and make absolutely no sense."

"So, should I search to see if Marco's still alive?" Jean was confused.

"Yes. And no. I'm sure if Marco is alive, he will find you. Friends always do." Mirajane winked.

"Now go!" Mira pushed him towards the runes. "Go home!"

Eren's POV

"I trust I can leave you here without my supervision for 5 minutes?" Levi asked.

"I'm fine! Go home!" Eren pushed his captain into the runes. The only ones left were him, Mikasa, and Hange, who the elf guy was trying to pull away from questioning Lisanna.

Eren collapsed at a table.

"How come you don't want to leave, Eren?" Mira asked.

Mikasa sat next to him. "He wants more time away from the titans," Mikasa replied for Eren.

"Mikasa," he grumbled.

Elfman had officially pushed Hange into the runes and was currently throwing all her notes in as well.

Natsu wheeled up to Eren, pushing wizards out of the way. "Before you go, Eren, FIGHT ME!" Fairy Tail gave one big groan in unison.

Eren stood up and got into fighting stance. "Okay!"

Natsu grinned and blew fire to the sky. "I'm all fired up now!"

Mikasa stood and picked Eren up. "No you don't." Mikasa carried him over to the runes as Eren kicked and screamed. "Bye," she said. Mikasa stepped into the runes with Eren over her shoulder.