Tow the line, o' Fairy King

"I haven't heard that name in a long time... So this is the new Fairy King you spoke of (Y/n), I thought you'd be bigger HARLEQUIN!" Gloxinia, the dead king of the winged threw back his apple-red head with a mighty howl.

"Sir Gloxinia!" King's voice rang out as the rocks underneath all of you began to shake as Drole lowers himself down into a power squat as the glowing butterfly at his side floats idly by his head. "I thought you fell to the hands of a Demon Lord 3000 years ago".

"Well obviously not" You grumbled as steam blew out your nose like steam from an annoyed teakettle. "Stupid glowing moth's always got another an ulterior motive, this fighting festival's just a ploy to get at something else he's after".

Ban happened to be near you at this time and leant over to grin suggestively, "woah there killer, you're beginning to sound like something other than an angel" he joked.

You scowled at him, "we're not all saints Banzy" You huffed and crossed your arms as King looked down at you, coming only now to register Gloxinia had mentioned you by name.

"(Y/n).. you knew the first Fairy King was alive and you didn't tell me?" The auburn fairy's face suddenly became devout of colour, like he'd accidentally swiped what he thought was a mosquito and instead had killed a firefly.

"I'm sorry, it was a time when I couldn't judge goodness of character. But I never lied, he isn't really alive" You explained, biting firmly on your knuckle as it poked between your teeth.

Ban grumbled a false approval and scratched his neck, Elizabeth stepped up beside you as you lowered yourself onto the ground, she smiled at you and it eased you enough to smile back. "Alright Taizoo! Get out here and start matching up our fights!" Gloxinia threw back his arm as a Squamish fat man leant out like a jelly-donut from behind one of Drole's legs. On his chest he bore a black and white stripped cotton shirt and light armour on his lower half. There were claw marks in his shoulders that had torn through his shirt slightly, as if he'd been ripped right out of his home by a large bird.

"Oh look, a fighting referee" Ban's voice was smooth like a seductive tone and he danced his fingers along Elaine's back as he talked, "This is starting to sound fun, I might participate".

Meliodas waved his small hand in front of his face, "Officiators meant I don't get to bend rules as much right?" His nose wrinkled a little as he sighed, "sate, sate, sate, guess I'll have to play nice on this one".

"Thankyou for coming, battle-starved tough guys!!" The referee began, loud enough for all below to hear as the helpless mortal stood equal height to the 2 Commandments perched on top of the rock hands. "More of you got through the labyrinth than we'd estimated! And so, round one will be fought in teams of two in a tag-team match system! ARE YOU READY?!"

The groups below, including yours, seemed relatively quiet. There was a distant "Yeah!" From around the other side, but it was as pathetic as hearing crickets, Matrona even rolled her eyes at the man.

"Not so fast!" You heard a voice over your shoulder from up on one of the labyrinth walls, Diane ducked slightly, her brunette piggy tails swinging gently while she lowered to avoid the set of heels that came hurtling over the wall. "There's still one more contestant....." Landing on the hilt of the Chastiefol before it swung aside and he flipped to the ground, Gowther stood like a ballet dancer as he pushed his glasses up his face.

"Gowther? Where have you been?" You asked, Gilthunder and Howzer were either side of the Sin of Lust and they eyed him up and down while he consistently held a striking pose, Howzer even brushed his hand against his head and over to the air above Gowther's, checking the doll's height.

"Has he grown taller?" Howzer asked his friend, Gilthunder shook his head and said something inaudible, before knocking his fellow Holy Knight over the back of the head.

"Gowther?" Drole's huge fingers brushed up against the back of the other Commandment, "I've heard that name before.."

"Um, could you please lift your foot?" A male's voice squeaked from underneath Gowther and it was only then you noticed the Sin had landed right on Escanor. The purple-haired boy quickly stepped aside and the fair-skinned man pulled himself to his feet.

"Oops, I miscalculated my second landing—" Gowther was only occupied with his apology long enough for Merlin to start ruffling the collection of twigs and leaves out of his hair, which hastily startled him into silence.

Escanor was kind about the matter, making little of it as he shook his head, "Its quite alright, I've often been told I blend into the background".

"That tone... build... that speech pattern" Gowther with a freshly clean head of bright straight locks, pointed out to the man as he picked up his broken glasses from the ground, "you are ES-CA-NOR! Long time no see."

"Gesundheit. Is that even a real person's name?" Howzer raised a brow, pointing over to the dainty barkeep in his green-vested uniform.

"Your name is How-zer, not exactly a creative leap" Gilthunder returned, and Howzer turned red with shock.

"You.... you're unbelievable" The blonde pointed back glaringly, steam practically shooting out of his ears, the sight distracted you for a while, after all, you hadn't really noticed just how close those two had become until now.

"My glasses!? They're broken!" Escanor sobbed, dangling the shattered specs in front of his unfocused eyes that continued to blink through his balling tears.

"That's Sir Escanor? The Lion Sin of Pride?" Elizabeth tugged the clothing at your elbow, Meliodas lifting her skirt a little to sneak a peak before you leant round quickly and pushed his face away with your pointer finger squishing his nose against his head.

"I know what you're thinking, you cant find someone further from 'prideful' than this guy" He curled his lip as he talked, withdrawing his hands back into his pockets as Drole

"These were the glasses Miss Merlin gave me!" The orange-moustache'd man tried desperately to put the pieces back together, but it was pointless.

"Oh quiet down" Came the descending, bombing voice of the demon butterfly standing idly on the massive, blue humanoid's shoulder. Throwing his arm out in front of him, one of the massive tentacles that his body once took refuge in stretched impossibly fast down the pillar and struck Escanor right through his chest cavity.

You and Elizabeth screamed in fright, and you threw your hands over your mouth as Escanor's head flung back and he gasped painfully. The green vine withdrew just enough so that everyone had to bear witness to the sizeable hole making up a large portion of the man's torso.

"I didn't go through all this trouble of constructing this Fighting Festival you're making such a racket before its even begun" Gloxinia's eyes were dark voids, free of light or mercy, or so they appeared. "But I cant have a contestant go in such a pathetic fashion, so I'll grant your relatively collective wish". As the fairy's hand splayed out, the vine in front of you contorted and out grew a large pastel, blue rose with a nectar point emerging from its centre. "Spirit Spear Basquias 7th form, 'Moon Rose'."

You had dropped to Escanor's side, trying to heal him but you were still in shock, so you couldn't begin repairing the hole in his rib cage with your power. "I still haven't... told her.. told Merlin.. I can't die (Y/n)" He grasped your hand, "you can't let me" he urged, blood leaking out the corner of his mouth.

Something fell from the tip of the rose, a large droplet that landed on your forehead and rolled down your cheek, leaving a soothing cool feeling on your tear-hot face. It made its way over your lip and off your chin before it dropped right down onto Escanor's would.

"Drop of life" You heard King say, and before you even noticed Escanor sat up as healthy as a ram with no injures to be seen, like he'd been given a massive dose of adrenaline as he grasped your hand tightly.

"Holy... I could've sworn I was done for!" Escanor patted his hands over his pale stomach and you couldn't help but chortle.

"I forgot how slim you were Escanor, you need to eat more fatty meats, let Ban cook for you from now on".

"Oi, Mistress of my heart" Ban snarled sarcastically, "don't go selling off my culinary services".

"HELLOOO!!?" Gloxinia shouted from his high position, "Now that everyone's got their head in the game, let's start divvying the teams up!" Drole's chest ripped and his huge limbs rose, muscles flexing as his palms smashed together.

As he did so, the ground beneath all of you began to shake and it ruptured revealing large steam geysers that threw you all up onto floating rock platforms.
"Oh come on" You looked over the side of your platform, hundreds of feet below the labyrinth you'd sooner be lost in that matched up fighting your friends. "Gloxinia is this what Zeldris has you doing?"

"(Y/n) better watch that pretty lip of yours, Drole told me he smells someone else in our festival that's lived in your house, and it isn't Mr Meliodas" The fairy's wings, glowing eerily as the sun shone behind it, casting a kaleidoscope of colours to fall over the unlucky participants of this demon's game. Your eyes instantly darted to Arthur, who stood with his sword drawn, falling relaxed by his side as the colours danced on his face.

You shook your head frantically, no way Arthur is coming to any harm. That's a dirty way to play the game Gloxinia, and you know it.

"EEP!" Hawk jumped and bolted around and around his little platform, shared with a still-started Escanor.

"Brother!" Elaine called down to a lower platform where King held his hand up to her, but they were too far apart.

Looking behind you, a familiar hand was stretched out to pull you to your feet, "guess we're going to be teaming up again, Gil." The pink-haired man smiled back at you, his other hand on the hilt of his sword as he turned back towards the hosts.

"The companions with whom you share the same floating rock are your partners, chosen by fate" Drole's voice thundered out from under his clothed mask, stained in blood around its bottom, echoing through the labyrinth, "now... entrust your live and pride to fight to the fullest with your new partner".

You bumped fists with Gilthunder, "I guess it wouldn't hurt to have a little relaxing match" Gilthunder smirked a little, his steel-blue eyes glistening with a re-ignited fire, or ice, in his case.

"Cap'n!" Ban's team gleamed from his platform as he bent over to his partner, the Sin of Wrath, "let's give 'em hell."

"You bet!"

"DIANE!"

"Sladerrr!" You cupped your hands either side of your lips to call over to the masked Captain of the Roars of Dawn, who tossed his messy of black curls over his shoulder as his neck snapped to look at you.

"Yessss my fluttering little song bird?!" He called back with equal melodic mockery, a hand on his muscular hip.

"What did he say?" Ban sounded cynical, leaning his full height on his arm which rested on the blonde boy's shoulder, who stood in such a way it was like there was no weight against him at all.

"Something he shouldn't have" Meliodas' eyebrows wrinkled together, Ban 'tsk'ed in an annoyed fashion, his nunchucks idly hooked to his green pants.

"I need a dagger, I don't feel like using my powers for this game!" You were still talking to Slader. At your request, he held a thumbs up and drew another dagger out of his arsenal, before throwing it into the air towards you. Gilthunder caught it before it cut the air in front of your face, and you thanked him nervously as he handed it back.

"If you don't use your powers this Festival is going to be dull (Y/n)! If you don't AT LEAST throw more than a blade in your opponents direction I'm going to be really annoyed!" Gloxinia hissed, his tentacles transformed into a sea of vines with dangerous thorns that shook the platforms and moved them towards larger ones.

You held the hilt of the dagger with one hand and tapped it against your hip, Gilthunder held his sword in his dominant hand, eyes darting slowly from you to the demon you were taunting.

"Oh fair King Gloxinia, if you want me to try harder, come and stand opposite me..."