The Arrow Of Fairy Tail Book One: Rise Of A Dragon

Canoe Of The Fairies

"Come on come on come on!!" Natsu yelled, grabbing Artemis' arm and dragging her out of the room. "It's gonna start in ten minutes!!" 

"I'm coming!" Artemis snapped as she zipped up her jacket. "Don't choke on an ember!"

It was the next day, and it was time for the 'elimination round', you could say.

"I'm so excited!" Lucy said from behind Artemis. "You'll love the games, Art!"

Artemis didn't answer.

"About time." Gray said as they reached the arena. "It's about to start!"

As if on cue, a hologram of a man with a pumpkin head appeared in the center. 

"Is that the Headless Horseman?" Artemis whispered sarcastically, and Lucy shook her head. 

"No, he's just a hologram of a guy in a pumpkin  head." She replied.

"Hush." Erza scolded, and Lucy and Artemis' jaws closed with an audible snap.

"Well, that was dramatic." Gray muttered.

The pumpkin man was describing the first event. "Welcome!! To The Grand Magic Games!! KABO!!! The first event, which will start in a few short moments, is canoeing! KABO!! But it isn't your average canoeing!! You have to go down a steep, dangerous river, with rapids and big rocks!! KABO!! And each canoe has a flag at the head... the goal is to make it to the finishing line, while taking other Guild's flags!! If your flag is taken, you can take another's!! KABO!! The guilds who have two flags by the time the timer runs out wins !! Also, we are not responsible for any severe injuries and or deaths!! KABO!! Now.. let us begin!" 

A red canoe with the Fairy Tail insignia with a white flag on the front appeared in front of the five friends.

"I refuse to get in that!" Natsu huffed. 

Erza narrowed her eyes. "You will get in that Natsu Dragneel, or else." 

Natsu gulped. "Y-yes Erza!"

"I call shotgun!" Artemis yelled, jumping to the front. 

"If you want to paddle, that's fine with me." Lucy said, climbing in behind Artemis. The archer frowned, before jumping behind Lucy and pushing her forward. 

"Well, technically," Artemis began. "Shotgun is the one who sits closest to the driver!"

Lucy sighed, before taking one of the paddles from the floor and handing the other one to Gray, who was sitting in the back.

Suddenly, the scenery in the arena changed, being replaced by a swirling river. The ground had opened up as well to create hills in the river as well, and there were hills and slides and massive rocks, and the arena seemed to be... bigger. 

"This is very advanced illusion magic." Erza commented as the canoe was raised a foot above the water. 

"Three!" Mato, for that was the pumpkin head man's name, yelled. "Two!! KABO!!" 

And with that, the canoes were dropped into the water.

"HOLY CRAP!!" Lucy yelled as she frantically paddled away from a giant rock. "This is impossible!"

"Oh, come on!" Artemis encouraged. "We've just started!"

"That isn't helping!!"

"Lucy, I'll do it." said Erza, picking Lucy up and switching places with her, and because Erza was stronger, she found it much easier to control the canoe. 

"Look!" Artemis yelled. "It's Lamia Scale!"

Sure enough, a blue canoe with the Lamia Scale symbol rammed into Fairy Tail's. 

There was a boy around Gray's age with snow white hair, a young girl with pink hair, a tall, bald, burly man, a man with blue hair and gigantic eyebrows, and a woman who was hidden under a cloak.

Lyon Vastia, the man with white hair, put his fist in his palm. "ICE MAKE: EAGLE!!" He yelled, and several eagles made out of pure ice flew forward. 

Erza barely managed to paddle the canoe around a rock, however the eagles flew above it, before diving and hitting the Fairy Tail's wizards in the head.

"Ow!" Artemis winced. "Gray, why does that guy have the same magic as you!?"

"Let's just say we go way back." Gray replied with gritted teeth.

"At least they didn't get that flag." Lucy said, taking out a key. "Now then... Open! Gate Of The Water Bearer! Aquarius!" 

In a flash of light, there was a mermaid with blue hair and an urn glaring daggers at Lucy. "You brat... why did you interrupt me!? I was having a date with my boyfriend!!"

"Yell at me later!" said Lucy. "But right now, beat up those guys!" She pointed at the Lamia Scale Guild.

"DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!!" Aquarius yelled, however she sent a massive blast of water at the canoe, sending it spiraling into a rock. 

"Now, don't interrupt me." Aquarius said in warning tone. "Or else!" And with that, she disappeared. 

"Well, she's nice." Artemis commented.

"We should have gotten their flag!" Erza yelled. 

"Well, here's our next chance!" Artemis stood up, aiming an arrow at the Titan Nose guild. The arrow hit the canoe in the side, and it exploded in a ball of fire. Lucy leaned out, and caught the flag. 

"There's that." Gray said. "Now we just have to keep these until the timer runs out."

"Do we even know where the timer is?" Artemis asked.

"And how are we supposed to get first?" Erza added. 

"Hey! There's Hound Holy! And they're crashed!" Lucy pointed at a purple canoe that was on its side. 

"We might as well get it!" Artemis said as she grabbed the flag as they passed.

"Maybe three will get us first." Gray guessed. 

Artemis was about to say something, before the timer let out a gong.

"And with three flags," Mato's voice rang out. "First place goes to Fairy Tail!"

Artemis high-fived Lucy as the water disappeared and they landed on the dirt. "Oh, we're amazing!" she said with a grin.