Lisanna watched the autumn leaves descend around her. The cool breeze drifted through her short white hair as she laid back against the giant tree in Magnolia's state park. The past week had been a hectic one. Job after job after job… She could only hope her dedication has paid off. Her body was still sore. Normally she would've gone on jobs with her siblings but she had to do solo jobs if she wanted to get chosen. This was the time of year everyone was doing solo jobs in the hopes of getting picked. It was strange. Just a little over a year ago, she didn't really care about getting stronger. While it was still her dream to grow in power, she was in no rush. Now, she was pushing herself every day.

Which was why it felt so good to just sit back and relax under the great oak tree. She wanted to grow stronger but she still needed a break once and a while.

She flinched as a flying piece of fish landed right on her cheek.

"Honestly, Happy," she groaned, wiping the piece of fish off her face. "Nothing I teach you ever sticks." Beside her, the blue cat was devouring a plate of fish, pieces of it flying in all direction. She had tried to teach Happy some proper table manners in the past but he never learns. It wasn't like she was trying to teach him table settings. She was just trying to get him to be a bit neater. Would it kill him not to gorge his food?

She watched as he chomped down the last few bites and plopped back, his hand on his bulging belly.

"Ah, that was delicious," he sighed. Lisanna took a handkerchief from the pocket of her light blue shirt and wiped his face down.

"Keep eating like this and the only thing I'll catch for you next time will be wing fish," she said as she folded up the piece of cloth and put it away.

"They can't be that bad!" Happy remarked cheerfully, sitting up at the thought of finally sinking his teeth into wing fish. "They're still giant fishies!"

"Well, if you're all filled with fish, it's time we head back to the guild hall," she said, getting to her feet. "Master should be announcing the results and I need to attend the bar." She brushed off the grass that had attached itself to her blue knee-length skirt and adjusted her white scarf so that the wind wouldn't blow it into her face. With a flash of light, Lisanna's arms transformed into a pair of green bird wings.

"You ready?" she asked her tiny companion, who had sprouted his own pair of wings.

"Aye, ma'am!" he cheered as they both took off into the air. As her entire body lifted off the ground, there was another flash of light as the rest of her body turned into a massive green bird that soared for the guild hall. She prayed that she would get picked. Still, even if she didn't, she learned a lot thanks to these jobs.

-.-

It was still early in the morning so the guild hall was rather empty. Lisanna just wanted to get a head start to reach it. She burst through the front door, her blue cat on her shoulder.

"Hey, everyone! We're back!" she announced. But the moment those words left her mouth, she immediately braced for impact. The guild hall was usually a battleground. She expected to find herself besieged by flying mages being flung across the room. Surprisingly, she was met by warm greetings and the sound of idle chatter.

"Huh? It looks like everything's calm today," Lisanna commented. She was afraid that she would have to spend the next ten minutes trying to stay alive in the crossfire. To be fair, the fights were nowhere near as ferocious as they used to be but they still happened once and a while. Seeing that the coast was clear, there was only one thing on Happy's mind.

"Time to raid the pantry!"

The flying blue cat barely got a foot before Lisanna reached out and grabbed him by the green bag he wore.

"Don't you dare," she said. "You promised you'd help me man the bar today." She made her way past the people in the hall, glancing at them with a smile on her way by. Unsurprisingly, Cana was already at the bar, waiting for her alcohol.

"I still think you need to cut down on your drinking," the youngest Strauss remarked as she poured Miss Alberona her drink.

"Just because you can't hold your alcohol doesn't mean I can't," Cana said with a chuckle. Lisanna went to work mixing up a drink for Cana, wondering if the alcoholic would notice if she diluted it. She immediately got to work, cooking in the back and serving drinks at the front.

It was soon approaching noon and not a single fight had broken out. It was obvious everyone was on their best behavior and she knew why. Though, there were two people she knew that would break the peace without a second thought.

She loaded up a tray and headed out onto the open floor, handing out the orders. She had just sent out the last order when the guild hall doors opened up. The midday sun poured in behind Gray Fullbuster as he stepped into the guild hall.

"We're back," he said coolly with a smile, paper in hand. "Mark this as done; mission accomplished." Lisanna took the paper, took a glance at it, and slid it under her serving tray. It was probably a last-minute job to show his dedication.

"You hungry?" she asked, taking out a notebook and scribbling something down. "You want me to make anything."

"I'll be fine," Gray said, taking a seat at the table. He leaned back to relax but then noticed Lisanna still standing in front of him. "What?" he asked.

"You forgetting something?"

Gray stared at the petite girl, not sure what she could mean.

"I don't think so," he replied, trying to figure out what he could've forgotten. "What'd I forget?"

"Well, your clothes for one," Lisanna replied. Gray looked down and he leapt up in surprise. He had walked all the way here in his boxers.

"I must've left it back at the hotel!" he groaned. Shedding his clothes may have been a habit but remembering to pick them back up was not. "Oh well," he said dismissively. "I don't wear those clothes much anyways."

"You don't wear any clothes much at all," Lisanna Strauss remarked, heading for the bar with the tray in her hand. She put the tray away and marked down the mission Gray had just completed. "I thought your partner would be with you."

"She's not far behind," Gray replied lazily, glancing at the door. "In fact, that should be her right now." Gray may not have minded her since they had been working together for the past year but she still maintained her fearsome reputation because of her skill and no-nonsense attitude. Her reputation may have proceeded her but thanks to the new way she conducts herself, no one ever notices her until it was too late. No one knew she was coming until she was already in the guild hall.

Everyone in the guild fell silent and turned to look at the hooded figure that stepped out of the sun. Clad in oily black armor, the dark figure stood out like a shadow in the brightly lit guild, streaks of red running down their gauntlets, which had a set of bladed fins protruding from its side. Her knee-length navy-blue skirt gently waved in the autumn wind. Even on the wood floor, her boots barely made any noise.

"Hey, welcome back, Erza," Lisanna greeted as the figure reached up and lowered her hood, crimson hair flowing free at last. She looked around the guild as if to evaluate each member. There was a time when she would scold them for any sort of misbehavior but it's been a year since she last did that. By this point she didn't seem to care.

"Good to see that the guild is still in one piece," Erza said, walking up to the bar counter. It was no question what Erza wanted. Lisanna quickly disappeared into the backroom and came back out with a platter of strawberry cake.

"You two were gone for a while," Lisanna remarked, setting Erza's snack down. "Job must've been a tough one."

"The town simply asked for help taking down a dark guild that's been plaguing them."

"I heard Master considered moving that job to the S-Class board because of how many wizards failed it over the past three months."

"I would consider it more time consuming than difficult," Erza replied. "When it became obvious brute force could not solve the problem, we infiltrated the town spent the next several days taking down their most powerful wizards one by one. Once that was done, the rest of the guild fled."

"Guess I should include your name on this mission," Lisanna said as she wrote everything down in the record book. Erza slid back her the now empty plate.

"Where is Master Makaraov?" the scarlet witch asked.

Lisanna was about to answer but someone else beat her to the punch.

"Oh, he's upstairs preparing the results," a voice from the second floor said. "If you hurry you might be able to actually learn what's going on." Erza's calm demeanor vanished, replaced by irritation as she stepped back to face the person talking. From the balcony of the second floor, a young woman stepped up to the railing, donned in a skimpy black spaghetti strap that left an open midriff and purple short shorts with a skull on her belt, her flowing white hair held up by a dark red ribbon. She folded her hands across her chest, sneering at the red head below.

"Mira," Erza smirked. "Sad to see you still around."

"Today is the big day, so I decided to help the master instead of go out and play," Mirajane responded. "What's your excuse?"

"I was going to do a few jobs around the town but I changed my mind so I came back to help the guild," Erza explained.

"You changed your mind? Your new one work better? It's fine. I understand: you thought it was more important to spend time with your boyfriend than help the Master."

Lisanna could tell Erza was doing everything she could to keep her cool. She despised it when people referred to Gray as her boyfriend. She and Gray had always been childhood friends and they had been partners for the past year so they had gotten pretty close. Still, if anyone wanted a good thrashing, just refer to Gray as Erza's boyfriend while she was around.

"Oh, don't worry, Mira," Erza mocked. "I'm sure you'll find a man who's good looking, smart, and cultured. Opposites attract, after all."

Lisanna sighed and continued her bar work as the two ladies continued hurling insults at each other. Everyone else may have been on their best behavior but these two didn't have reason to. She was glad that hadn't come to blows yet or the guild hall would be wrecked.

"Tell you what," Erza said. "I'll go up there to help Master Makarov and we can continue this later." The red head stormed up the stairs, fire in her eyes. Lisanna could hear the two walk off, silence falling upon the guild once again. Looking across the hall, it looked like everyone had taken cover. If they hear an explosion upstairs, they'll know what it's from.

"If there's ever a market for stupidity, I call drilling rights to both their heads," Lisanna sighed, handing Happy a plate of fish.

-.-

The clock hadn't even struck noon and everyone in the guild was gathered in front of the second-floor balcony, eagerly awaiting the announcement. Gray had gotten a blue T-shirt and white long coat to wear since he lost his other shirt. Lisanna was also on the open floor, eagerly waiting for the announcement. Just about everyone had come back to the hall to hear it. Alzack and Bisca were near the front, standing next to each other. Laki had wood-made a stool to stand on. Cana wasn't at the bar anymore but she still had a beer keg right beside her.

Finally, a bell toll could be heard across town as the clock finally struck noon.

They all fell silent as Titania Erza emerged out of the shadows and stepped up to the railing, her serious expression stiffer than stone. Then, Mirajane stepped out, her hands still folded across her chest, an amused smirk on her face. Finally, a familiar blonde stepped to the front, a bolt-shaped scar over his right eye, his fur long coat hanging from his shoulders like a cape.

"Laxus?" Gray muttered, noting the blonde man's bored expression. "What's he doing here?"

Three of Fairy Tail's elite were gathered in one place. Finally, a stout old man in an orange jester outfit leapt onto the wood rail.

"In accordance to the Fairy Tail Guild's time honored tradition," Master Makarov announced. "I will now announce this year's entrance for the S-Class Wizard promotion trial!" Cheered erupted across the hall at the news. "The Trial this year will be taking place on the Warlaw Archipelago. Your strengths, your characters, and your hearts; these are what I took into consideration when choosing these eight participants."

Everyone in the room leaned forward, all of them hoping their name will be called. Erza, Laxus, Mirajane, everyone knew the names of the guild's S-Class wizards and for good reason. It was the highest honor that could be bestowed upon any of them.

"Gray Fullbuster!"

Gray smiled at the sound of his name.

"It's my turn now," he said, glancing at Erza on the balcony. She wasn't looking at him directly but she smiled when she heard his name called.

"Cana Alberona!"

"I'm not letting it slip through my fingers this time," Cana said, her fist clenching.

"Alzack Connel!"

Alzack twirled his revolvers, glancing at Bisca with a smile.

"Go get 'em, cowboy," she said with a wink.

"Lisanna Strauss!"

"Yeah!" Happy cheered, high-fiving Lisanna.

"Looks like our work paid off," she said. Most of the wizards in Fairy Tail dream about being picked for the S-Class Trials and she made it. There was a time she didn't really care about something like this. One year ago, she was perfectly fine with taking her time to reach that rank. But for the past year, nothing was going to stand in her way of reaching S-Class.

Makarov continued announcing wizards until eight wizards had been chosen.

"Each participant will need to pick a partner to complete the trials with. Together you will face challenges that will test the strength of your magic, spirit, and mind. All eight participants and their partners are to meet at the Port of Hargeon at the end of the week!"

With all the announcements made, the crowd began to disperse as the chosen participants began choosing partners. Alzack's partner was obvious.

"He loves you!" Happy sang the moment Alzack chose Bisca as his partner, blushes coming from both of them.

It didn't surprise Lisanna that Gray had made it into the S-Class trials. Ever since he partnered up with Erza, Gray's learned a lot from her. Gray had already worked out a deal with Loke. It broke his fangirls' hearts that he had to leave but he agreed to assist Gray. Gray turned to watch as Erza walked down the stairs with a proud smile on her face.

"Just to be clear," she said when she reached the bottom. "Though we may be partners, I won't take it easy on you during the trials."

"I guess that means you'll be part of the trials then?" Gray commented. Erza's mischievous grin didn't leave her lips.

"You'll find out soon enough."

Lisanna was in earshot when Erza said this. She could only imagine the cogs turning inside Erza's head. Mira may have been the She-Devil but Erza still had her own sadistic side.

Erza and Mira exchanged dirty glances as the goth came down from the second floor. The eldest Strauss went up to her little sister, who was having her own little celebration with Happy.

"Nice job, little sis," Mira said as Happy gave Lisanna another high five. "Looks like that hard work paid off." Lisanna had to credit Mira for getting her this far. Having an older sister as an S-Class was a huge help when it came to training. Especially since she wanted to get as strong as possible as fast as possible.

"Hey, Mira, do you know where Elfman is?" Lisanna asked. "I was hoping he's be able to make it today." Right on cue, they heard the guild hall doors open and team Shadow Gear rushed in.

"I hope we're not too late!" Levy McGarden cried out as she and her team raced inside. Jet probably could have made it in time but there was no way for Droy or the newest member of their team to make it.

"Sorry, Levy," Macao said to the young girl, patting her hand on her shoulder. Immediately, her two personal cheerleaders went to work comforting her.

"Hey, big brother Elf!" Lisanna greeted as a slender man stepped out of the crowd. He straightened his clothes and red bow tie. The run back to the guild had messed up his blue suit.

"Looks like Shadow Gear's kept you busy," Mira remarked at Elfman's shambled state. "Anyone there I should take care of?" Elfman scratched his back nervously. Shadow Gear's been great to him. With how terrified he is of his power nowadays, he fit right in. Lisanna knew Elfman used to always want to be the 'man' of the family. But he had given up on the dream. He could only transform one arm but he had come along with matching brain with his brawn.

"Hey, nice job getting chosen for S-Class," Elfman said to his younger sister timidly.

"I still need to finish the trial," Lisanna pointed out. "Hey, mind tending the bar while I'm gone?" He didn't brag much about it but Elfman was a pretty good cook.

"I guess I'll do my best," Elfman said with a grin. He then looked at the floor glumly, bummed that now his older and younger sisters were stronger than him.

"Hey, cheer up! I'm sure you'll get picked soon."

"You know who you're going to pick for your partner?" Mira asked. They didn't want to say it but neither of them would pick Elfman for anything that might involve fighting. Though that did leave the rest of the guild to choose from.

"Happy, of course!" she said cheerfully as the blue cat leapt onto her shoulder with an excited 'Aye!'.

Mira felt her face sag at this news. Of all the partners she could have chosen she chose the talking cat. Then again, this was the girl who transformed into purple bunnies and giant penguins in a fight.

-.-

It's funny how time passes when you're desperate to get something done before a deadline. After a week of practice, the time had come. They had all gathered on the ship and were on their way to Warlaw.

Gray was at the stem of the ship, watching the ocean waves. He could feel the rippling water raise and lower the ship as it sailed across the water, the sea winds blowing through the tails of his white long coat.

"So have you ever heard of this place?" he asked his partner, Loke. The wizard playboy was tagging along in his signature green coat, rings on his fingers for his magic.

"Not much I'm afraid," he replied as the landmass came into sight. They were headed for the largest island in the archipelago, which looked like it had an active volcano. "I hear this place used to be a popular vacation spot but then they discovered the volcano wasn't dormant so they all left." He looked back at Gray to find the ice-make wizard already topless. "How in the world do you do that so fast?"

"Do what?"

-.-

From the stern, Bisca was examining the island through the scope of her sniper rifle, watching the column of black smoke billow into the air. Alzack was next to her. He didn't have a scope but he could still observe the giant landmass.

"If the volcano's active, are we sure this is a safe place to have the trials?" Bisca wondered aloud.

Questions were going to have to be saved for later. The sound of a throat being cleared attracted the attention of the sixteen mages on the boat. Correction. Fifteen mages and a talking cat. They all turned to face Master Makarov, who stepped out of the captain's cabin.

"Alright, listen up!" he announced. "Each island in the archipelago will hold a challenge that you and your partner will need to overcome. Teams that manage to overcome their challenge can continue to the next island." Everyone on the boat leaned forward eagerly as a piece of paper materialized next to the guild master. Alzack and Bisca quickly climbed down the stairs so they could also see what's on the parchment. "Each team will take one of the eight available paths which will lead to one of the challenges. Three of the routes will lead to combat trials where you will take on one of the guild's S-Class Wizards. They will decide whether or not you pass, depending on your performance." Gray could see the three faces along the combat routes: Erza, Mirajane, and Laxus. He knew that whoever went down any of these was screwed. He really doubted Laxus would classify anyone as worthy of passing unless they beat him. Mira would relish judging her opponent harshly. And Erza would hold her opponent to some absurdly high standards. "Noncombat trials is where two teams will face each other not in a battle of strength but a battle of wit. Overcome your puzzle before your opponent to pass."

"Sounds like I have the right partner for that," Loke said to Gray, who could only grin at the challenge.

"Battle of wits?" Gray repeated. "I feel bad for fighting the unarmed."

"What about this eighth route?" Cana asked, noting the route that had a question mark on it. Everyone on the ship paled when a wicked smile spread across Gramps' lips.

"It wasn't easy but I have managed to get a very special guest to join us for this trial," he chuckled. "Whoever goes down this route will have to face him in combat."

This time, people didn't know whether to be relieved or terrified.

"Who do you think it could be?" Happy whispered to Lisanna. The girl could only shrug.

"Gildarts maybe?" she suggested. "He might've come back from his job early."

"Maybe Master Makarov's going to be there!" Happy suggested excitedly. Lisanna could only hope one of these were true. Makarov and Gildards would be the toughest but at least they'd be a lot more forgiving than the other three options.

"Now!" Makarov boomed. "Head toward the smoke rising near the coast and let the trials…begin!"

Immediately, everyone made a break for the island. Gray and Loke leapt over the edge of the boat, a bridge of ice forming under their feet. They began skating across the ice but Gray paused when he heard an extra set of feet hit the ice behind him.

"Sorry, Lisanna," Gray said as the ice beneath the girl's feet suddenly vanished and she plunged into the ocean. "No stowaways!" Happy giggled as the girl emerged from the water, watching as Gray and Loke skated away, the ice bridge vanishing behind them so no one else could use it.

"Guess I'll do things the old-fashioned way," she said. Light engulfed her body, a fish with white hair and a scarf emerging and swimming for the island with Happy flying above it.

As Laki leapt over the side of the ship, a wooden raft materialized right beneath her. The moment Cana landed on the raft she quickly pulled out a set of cards and summoned a jet stream of water behind the raft.

Whether it was flying, swimming, boating, or riding on things that could fly, everyone raced for the island to get first picks.

Soon it was just Alzack and Bisca left standing on deck, staring at the island.

"I guess we should start swimming," Bisca sighed.

-.-

Reaching the source of the smoke signal was easy. Picking a route…not so much. Gray and Loke were the first to make it so all eight routes were open.

"So which way you want to go?" Loke asked, looking at the eight paths available.

"Five of the paths go into caves," Gray observed. "The other three go into the forest. I guess it all depends on which one we want to try to get. At least one of the forest routes and one cave route leads to combat trials and two of the cave routes lead to noncombat trials."

"How do you figure that?"

"I'm mostly guessing but Gramps said the noncombat trials were a battle of wits, two teams racing to solve a puzzle," Gray explained. "I imagine it'd be pretty hard to compete if one team's above the ground and the other is below. Like I said, I'm mostly guessing here. They might have a grate in the ceiling or something."

"Ok, let's pretend that you're right and the teams that compete in noncombat trials have to take the same type of path," Loke said. "What does that mean for us?"

"It means that either two of the three forest paths and two of the five cave paths lead to noncombat challenges or four of the cave paths are the noncombat challenges and all three forest routes lead to combat challenges. Meaning we're probably more likely to end up in a noncombat challenge if we go through the caves."

"Something else we should consider," Loke pointed out. "If the caves have a combat challenge and we go against someone like Mirajane or Laxus, we're going to need as much room as possible to maneuver."

"Then I think we should take a forest path," Gray concluded. "I've seen the other teams; I'm pretty sure we can take them on in a battle of wits. We're more likely to get a noncombat challenge if we go into the caves but if we're wrong it's more punishing. If the forest path we take leads to a noncombat trial, we beat the other team and move on. If we end up facing Laxus or someone like that, we at least have a fighting chance."

"Sounds good to me," Loke said. With everything planned out, the two raced down the path into the forest, a magical barrier forming behind them.

-.-

Alzack stared at the ground glumly. He and Bisca had to swim so they were the last to arrive on the island. He knew that for a fact because only one route, into a cave, was left.

"Hey," Bisca said, giving Alzack a nudge. "Relax. What's the worst that could happen?"

"We could end up fighting Mirajane," Alzack immediately replied. Bisca wanted to say something optimistic but Alzack was right. If they ended up facing one of the S-Class wizards, they were toast.

-.-

Lisanna's footsteps echoed through the stone walls of the cave she was in. This then gave her an idea. With a flash of light, she changed into a purple bunny, paused, then returned to her human form and continued walking.

"We must be on the puzzle path," she concluded.

"How can you tell?" Happy asked, walking up behind her.

"Bunnies have excellent hearing," Lisanna explained, rounding the corner. "It's just one of the ways they avoid predators. I don't hear anyone so that must mean that we're the only ones in this cave." She walked around the massive stalagmite and froze in her tracks. Happy also turned around the stone pillar and did the same.

"Uh, Lisanna…I think you need your ears checked," Happy remarked. Before them stood a black cloaked figure, his face hidden under a gray and green mask so that even his eyes could hardly be seen. A bundle of wooden staves hung from his back, an extra stave in his right hand.

"Wait a minute," Lisanna stuttered upon seeing the strange man. "Who's this guy?"

"Lisanna, I think that's Mystogan!" Happy cried out. Lisanna felt the blood drain from her face. Erza and Mira were scary enough but this guy was often compared to Laxus in terms of power. Worse, she had never seen his magic before. She had no idea what he was capable of.

"Welcome," Mystogan greeted with an eerie calmness. "Your opponent for the first part of the trial will be me. I will be the one that decides whether you pass."

Lisanna glanced behind her when she heard the sound of cloth being dragged across the cave floor.

"Happy, what're you doing?" she asked she spotted the blue cat pulling their bags back to the cave entrance.

"Figured we might as well head home," he said.

"Don't worry, Happy," Lisanna said, getting into a fighting stance. "I got this."

-.-

The orange leaves falling from the trees matted the ground, crunching beneath Gray's and Loke's feet.

"I would've thought we'd find the challenge by now," Loke said, looking around. He had his hand on the rings on his fingers, ready to cast a spell at a moment's notice. Gray took another step then stopped in his tracks.

"Found it," he said, looking at the figure ahead. It looked like they had chosen poorly. Their challenger for this trial was:

"Erza!" Loke gasped when he spotted the scarlet witch in her black wing armor. Erza might've lacked a sense of humor but she definitely had a sense of fashion. Her black wing armor, like most of the other armors she could call upon, danced on the line between sexy and practical with much of chest and belly open to the elements. The blades on her gauntlets now had the same red membrane her bat-like wings had.

Erza smiled when she saw who her opponents were.

"I was hoping it was you I would run into, Gray," she said, taking out a black sword. "Now show me what you can do." Working with Erza may have helped him to become stronger but he still doubted he could even take her on let alone beat her.

"You ready, buddy?" Gray asked Loke as Erza spread her black bat wings.

"Ready as I'll ever be."

It was time for her to see just how powerful her partner was. There was a boom as she launched herself into the air, a trail of dirt picked up by her sudden flight.

"Ice-make: Shield!"

A large disk of ice formed in Gray's hand as daggers came raining from the sky. It was frightening how quickly Erza could learn a skill. In one year's time, she learned how to hurl knives hidden up her sleeves. They were in her sleeve her for easy access and in case she ever ran low on magic energy. If she ran out, she need only to requip more throwing knives into her hand. Any time in a fight, she would rain throwing knives if there was ever distance between her and an enemy.

"Twister!" Loke shouted, a wind storm flying from his ring and engulfing Erza. But the witch dove to the ground, pulling up at the last moment and streaking toward the two wizards like a hawk coming for its prey. Gray stepped forward, ready to engage. But before she could reach him, the ground seemed explode into a cloud of smoke. Gray wasn't fazed by this smoke bomb. He knew how far Erza was and he knew how fast she was moving. With that, he could predict when to attack.

"Ice-make: Lance!"

Spears of ice flew from Gray's palm. If he was right, she would only have a half a second to react. This had to get her.

Gray whipped around when he heard Loke yell in shock, watching as Erza suddenly emerged from the smoke behind them. In a single move, she had kicked Loke aside and punched Gray out of the smoke cloud.

"Anticipating your enemy's movements is one thing," Erza said, landing in front of Gray. "But never overcommit yourself to countering it in case you're wrong."

With a single flap of her wings, she launched herself at Gray. He just barely managed to block her black sword with his ice one. He was about to counter her when she suddenly launched herself up and flew to the other side of him. Gray found himself tumbling across the ground after taking a kick to the back of his head.

"Ground shatter!" Loke shouted, punching the dirt with his fist, veins of magic shooting through the ground at Erza. She took off again, throwing knives in between her fingers. With a single fling of her hand, a flurry of knives flew forth like a hail storm of blades. Loke formed a shield with his ring, a large magical circle that blocked the rain of knives. The ones that would've met their mark hit the magic circle and bounced off harmlessly while the rest hit the ground around him, dirt thrown up by the sheer force of the impact. She flung another flurry, forcing Loke to his knees.

Erza was about to throw another flurry when she spotted a tower of ice rising into the air, Gray Fullbuster standing at the top of it. He leapt off the tower, ready to strike from above

"Ice-Make: Hammer!"

Erza blocked the blunt weapon with her black sword but Gray immediately let go of it and tackled her out of the air and putting her in a tight bearhug, making sure his arms grabbed at least one wing. Unable to stay in the air, they both plummeted to the ground. After a moment of struggling she managed to shove Gray away and land on the ground with cat-like agility while the ice-make wizard landed like a rock.

Erza was about to take off again but she barely got a foot off the ground before crashing back down. She could tell something was off. Her body felt heavier than usual. It was then she realized her left wing was encased in ice. She probably could've just chipped it away if it was normal ice. But Gray's ice could make swords and axes. They could be as hard as steel which meant she couldn't just shatter the ice.

"Looks like I managed to pull it off," Gray chuckled, brushing off the dirt off his chest. "Kinda hard to fly around with one wing. The reason you wear that armor is for agility and air superiority. You lose both if you can't fly."

Erza smiled at this. It was good to see that Gray was still able to surprise her. She could ask him to get the ice off of it for her later. For now, she needed a new suit. Her body began to glow as her black wing armor vanished and a new one took its place. It was a little more covering as the white crystal-like curiass only left a bare midriff and open back. Spikes protruded from her pauldrons, a fur hood lowered behind her head. Both her gauntlets and greaves were a smooth silvery metal and the fins that extended from the former looked like icicles. Snow seemed to sparkle off the white cloth that made her long skirt.

"Frost Empress Armor?" Gray chuckled as Loke walked up beside him.

"What does that mean for us?" Loke asked.

"At least she can't fly anymore but she's resistant to snow and ice magic."

"Let's see what you will do when your magic has no effect on me," Erza said, tossing her ponytail back and pointing at him with her rapier. "I actually got this armor in case we got the opportunity to face each other."

"I'm flattered you'd do all this for me but I think you actually made things easier," Gray said, smashing his fist against his open palm.

"What the?!" Loke called out as the ground beneath him began to shift and something appeared beneath him.

"Ice-make: catapult!"

There was a boom as the ice catapult launched the orange-haired wizard at Erza. With a wave of her rapier, Loke, or rather the ice cube that now held Loke, hit the ground. She turned to face Gray, who had summoned two more catapults that immediately fired. The flying boulders exploded into dust as they hit their mark.

"If I can't hit you with ice, I'm just going to hit you with everything that isn't ice."

Just as he said that, the dust cloud parted and Erza came sliding through, her rapier freezing the ground in front of her as she skated across it and right for him.

"Uh oh."

-.-

Alzack and Bisca were out of luck. First they got left behind on the boat. Now, it seems they were trapped in a cavern with Cana and Laki. The two teams looked at each other, a magical barrier being the only thing separating them.

They both jumped back when the sound of scraping stone began reverberating through the chamber. Behind the each of the two teams formed a door and three gargoyles.

"Welcome."

"That's just creepy," Cana grimaced as the gargoyles spoke, their eyes glowing as they talked.

"We shall test not the power of your magic but the power of your mind. Beside the magical barrier are three gems. Give the red gem to the gargoyle that speaks nothing but truths. Give the blue gem to the one that tells only lies. Give the green gem to the gargoyle who answers randomly. Once that is done, you may pass through the door. Be warned: the door will only let you continue if you give us the correct gems. Displease us by giving the wrong ones and the door will lead to your automatic elimination. You may ask us three yes or no questions, each addressed to one gargoyle, to deduct which gargoyle is which."

Cana looked at Laki eagerly when she heard this.

"Doesn't sound that hard!" Alberona said. She could already remember a similar riddle involving two statues and two doors where the person could only ask one question. Now they could ask three.

"However, when you ask your question we shall only answer 'tee' or 'haa'. Good luck."

The six gargoyles fell silent, leaving the teams to think about the riddle.

"What does that mean?" Bisca wondered out loud.

"It means either 'tee' or 'haa' means 'yes' and the other means 'no'," Alzack deducted.

"But we don't know which means which," Cana added. She was originally glad that they managed to avoid fighting the S-Class wizards but now she was beginning to feel that these challenges weren't any better.

"Three gargoyles," Bisca muttered. "One only tells the truth. One only lies. And one will answer randomly. We can ask three yes or no questions but they can only be addressed to one gargoyle and when they answer, we won't be able to tell if they're saying 'yes' or 'no'."

"And our goal is to find out which gargoyle is which."

Bisca looked back when she heard scratching behind her.

"What are you doing?" she asked Alzack, who had begun rubbing two sticks together.

"Making a campfire," he said. "We're probably going to be here a while."

-.-

Lisanna stared at the cloaked figure, not sure what to do. Her animal senses have never been wrong before. Did she make a mistake? No. There was something off about Mystogan. Even in human form it was as if he didn't exist. They were in a cave so every noise they made echoed through the chamber. But when Mystogan talked, it didn't echo at all. It was if he wasn't even there.

"Why do you hesitate?" Mystogan asked. "It's been several minutes and you have done nothing."

"Sorry, but I'm not going to rush a wizard if I don't know anything about what he can do," she said. She wished she could see Mystogan's expression. Even his eyes were obscured by his mask.

"Caution against an unknown enemy is wise," Mystogan stated. "Inaction is not."

"Lisanna, above you!" Happy called out. Lisanna looked up as a column of light came down on top of her, a stack of magic circles spinning above her. Her eyes widened in shock. Mystogan must've put those above her while she wasn't paying attention.

"Five Layered Magic Circle: Sacred Song"

"Take-Over!"

Lisanna took flight, her arms turning into bird wings, just as the ground she had just been standing on exploded. She might've gotten away but the pressure wave from the blast still knocked her off course and she nearly flew into a wall. But she recovered and began circling in the air near the top of cavern. After a moment, she swooped down, her feet transforming into talons. She swooped past the hooded figure, a claw full of black cloth. She flew back up and circled a few more times before divebombing him again. Once again, Mystogan simply stepped to the side and let her fly past. This was clearly not working. Time for a change of tactic.

She swooped down, her talons extended. But she suddenly pulled herself up so that she flew over the hooded figure.

"Take-Over: Penguin!"

A massive penguin fell from the sky. A penguin wasn't exactly something that could fight but it was durable and, above all else, heavy. She felt the rock floor beneath her crack under her weight. If anything, she was worried that she might have overdone it and crushed Mystogan. But as she returned to her human form, she realized there was nothing beneath her. She looked around in panic, spotting Mystogan a few feet away. He was under her when she hit the ground; she was sure of it. It was as if he teleported away. It didn't matter though. Mystogan was managing to take her on by standing still.

"Take-Over!"

Lisanna transformed again, a massive purple bunny launching itself at Mystogan. With her size, weight, and durability, she could blast through concrete with the force of a cannon.

Mystogan planted his stave into the stone floor. He was going to need two hands for this one.

"Three Layered Magic Circle: Mirror Water."

Even in midair, Lisanna could see the magic circles for in front of the S-Class wizard's hands. She felt confident about this one. If it was an attack, he was too late. If it was a shield, then he wouldn't take any damage but neither would she.

Her head impacted the magic circle and she screamed as she was thrown backwards. Mystogan's three layered magic circle didn't create a shield that blocks attacks. It created a barrier that reflected attacks. Projectiles and spells are launched back at the caster. In Lisanna's case, she was the projectile and every ounce of energy her attack packed was sent back into her.

"Your timing is off," Mystogan stated. "Launching at that distance will give your opponent time to react to your attack."

Lisanna got back to her feet. Mystogan's been able to evade and counter every attack she threw. But these were slow, heavy attacks. Lisanna knew it was time for a change of tactics and she knew the animal soul to use.

She formed her bird wings and lunged at the hooded man. But just as she got close, she changed again.

"Take-Over: Tiger!"

A clawed hand came down on Mystogan but it cut through nothing but air. She expected this. Mystogan was walking backwards as she kept slashing at him. He stepped to the side when she lunged past but kept evading her every attack. Finally, her claw came down and it hit wood. Her claws were now embedded in his stave. He had decided it was time to make his move.

Lisanna was about to strike again but in a single motion he blocked her claw and cracked his wooden stave over her head. He effortlessly parried her strikes before striking back, her body pummeled by his staff. He finally kicked her back, knocking the girl to the floor.

"Your hand to hand skills have greatly improved," Mystogan noted, planting his staff into the ground. "That combined with the increase in speed and agility you receive from that particular form, your offense is nearly doubled. But you lack any defense due to your lack of armor and…questionable choice of attire."

"What is that supposed to mean?!" Lisanna barked back. Happy was rolling on the floor laughing at Mystogan's slight at her. Whenever Lisanna used her tiger-soul she is garbed in a tiger-skin two pieced bikini but with what Erza sometimes wears for armor, what Mira wears with her Satan soul, and Gray's stripping habit, she never thought twice about her clothes.

She lunged at her opponent, claw high in the air. She had one more trick up her sleeve. Mystogan effortlessly blocked the attack but just as he prepared to strike back her body began to glow.

"Take-Over: Penguin!"

The massive penguin form burst from her body, her size tripled in a faction of a second. She could hear Mystogan's grunt of pain as it launched him backwards. Happy was speechless. She actually managed to land a hit.

Once he had come to a stop, Mystogan stood up and began brushing off the dust thrown onto his clothes.

"You've improved a lot but I'm afraid I must end this," Mystogan said, planting his stave into the ground. He placed his hands together, the tips of his pointer fingers meeting at the top, then pointed at the girl. Lisanna watched as beams of magical energy erupted from the floor, into the air, and down upon her. She quickly turned into a bird and tried to take off but it was too late. She screamed as the air around her exploded, the magical energy surging through her body like electricity. She hadn't even fallen back to the ground when Mystogan burst through the dust cloud and landed a punch against her stomach, launching her across the cave. As she tumbled through the air, she spotted what had formed in front of her: a three-layered magic circle. She hit the magic circle and felt all her kinetic energy sent back into her body. The circle shot her across the ground, her bird form failing and transforming her back into a human as she landed on her back and skidded to a halt. She opened her eyes and saw a stack of magic circles rotating above her.

"Five-Layered Magic Circle: Sacred Song."

Happy watched as Lisanna was engulfed by the fireball. When the flames subsided and the smoke cleared, Lisanna was on one knee, battered and bruised. She had suspected it before but this just confirmed it: he had been taking it easy on her this entire time. In just five seconds, Mystogan used both his magic and his martial arts to beat her senseless.

"I heard about how much you improved over the past year," he said, speaking as if he was waking up from a nap. "While both your current skill level and how far you've come is impressive, I'm afraid I cannot pass you."

"And why not?" Lisanna barked, getting to her feet. "If I have to beat you to pass then I can keep going. I'll keep fighting until one of us keels over."

"That is not the issue, Lisanna Strauss," Mystogan said, pulling his stave from the ground. She may have been frustrated by this result but Mystogan remained calm. "Becoming an S-Class wizard is not just a badge of pride but target on your back. Many dark wizards would relish the opportunity to defeat an S-Class, wizards who are more powerful than you can imagine. You have become a force to be reckoned with but you have one weakness I fear may be exploited."

"Yeah? And what's that?" Mystogan glanced back at her but didn't answer. He began walking away. "I want to be an S-Class wizard!" Lisanna called to him. "And I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get there. How can I fix a weakness I don't know anything about?!" The hooded man paused at these words. "Let's keep fighting," she insisted. "But I want you to use that weakness you talked about to take me down. Show me what I need to change."

Mystogan turned around to face the young girl.

"Very well," he said, planting his stave into the ground. Lisanna took a step forward and got ready to change into an animal form. She had to see what was going to be thrown at her before she could decide on an animal-soul to use.

"Skyscraper."

Lisanna felt the ground rumble beneath her feet. It was as if something was under them, struggling to get out. Finally, the ground behind Mystogan burst open, a massive red beast crawling from the hole, golden horns crowning its head, a gaping maw of teeth. Lisanna felt her heart stop when she realized it was the Beast. It was the monster her family faced one year ago. Her older brother took over its body but nearly lost himself in the attempt. Mystogan had somehow summoned it, its every footstep shaking the trees of the forest that surrounded them. Lisanna took a step back, trying think of an animal-soul she could use against this monstrosity, her arms to the side to protect her sister behind her. Why was she thinking of fighting? That was her older brother. He was trapped in there somewhere. She had to save him before he loses his mind.

"What are you doing?!" Mira called from behind her as Lisanna stepped forward. If things went wrong, she was ready to turn into a bird and fly away. But she had to try getting her brother back.

"Big Brother Elf?" Lisanna said. "You feeling ok? It's me, Lisanna. Our big sister, Mira, is here too." Her words must be getting to him. The creature had stopped in its tracks, looking down on her. Its breathing slowed, no longer the raving beast it was just a few moments ago. Lisanna relaxed a bit when she saw this. It was working. "We're a family. When times are tough, we pull together and work things out." She opened her arms as if welcome him in for a hug. "Don't be afraid, Big Brother. We still love you."

The Beast's body began to glow, its limbs frozen in place. The Strauss sisters watched as the golden form shrunk. The light died down until they saw a beaten and bruised Elfman laying sprawled out in one of the Beast's footprints. Lisanna rushed forward to help her older brother. The beating he had taken had nearly brought him to his senses and Lisanna's words did the rest.

"You ok, big brother Elf?" she asked as he weakly opened his eyes.

"I'm sorry," he wheezed, tears forming. "I was just trying to protect you two."

"I know."

Lisanna may have been relieved but Mira was still panicked, stumbling to her older brother.

"Elfman," Mirajane stuttered. "Where's Natsu?!"

Mira's questions chilled Lisanna to the bone. The Fire Dragon Slayer had come along to help. He and Mira had both gone to face the Beast while she went to evacuate the town.

They found his broken body nearby, barely alive. The combined attacks of Mira and Natsu had weakened the Beast's enough that Elfman was able to overcome it, but Natsu had been mortally wounded in the process. Lisanna refused to leave his side, holding onto him even after he started glowing and floated into the air. She grabbed his scarf in a desperate attempt to bring him back but she helplessly watched as the rest of his body vanished, his scarf falling back into her hands.

Skyscraper: the illusion spell. Its victim would see something that they feared. It was different for every target but it was always something that would terrify them. Some would figure it out but when they break the spell they can barely fight. But, even when the illusion faded, Lisanna fell to her knees, her hand on her face as she tried to hold in her tears.

Happy wasn't struck by the spell. Lisanna may have spent half an hour in the illusion, watching the most painful moment of her life, but barely a second had actually passed. Happy only saw Mystogan cast his spell and Lisanna immediately broke down sobbing.

"When he died, his obsession became yours," Mystogan said. "His quest to become strong was what inspired you to begin your quest. You wanted to become strong in honor of Natsu. You wanted to become strong to find Igneel, to travel the country to find his father in his place. Most of all: you wanted to become strong because you felt the only reason he died was because you were not strong enough to help him."

"He's not dead!" Lisanna said stubbornly, her hands clenching into fists. She refused to accept it. After being inseparable for over five years, she refused to believe it could end that way. He had become a part of her life. She couldn't imagine it without him. And yet, that was the reality. He had been ripped from her world. "I don't know what I saw that day but it's not what happens when people die!" Mystogan stared down at the sobbing girl.

"I know you've spent the past year investigating what you witnessed," he said. "You've traveled across the country to find out what happened. As an S-Class mage you would have access to more resources. You're hoping you can find someone who has the answers. You refuse to acknowledge him as dead because of the unnatural event that occurred. But, deep inside your heart, you fear he truly is gone."

"It's all my fault," she muttered. "Elfman didn't want him to come. If I hadn't insisted he come with us…" That day played in her head over and over again. It was just one sentence. Natsu had wanted to join them on the quest but Elfman protested against it. The only reason he had come along was because she insisted that he be allowed to come. She wanted to change that day, to go back in time and keep her mouth shut.

Mystogan fell silent once again. The girl was grieving. He knew there was nothing he could say that would make her feel better. But there was one thing he wanted to say.

"It is said that disasters such as tornadoes can have their causes traced back to the flapping wings of a bird or butterfly. You think that just by not speaking up against Elfman you could make everything better. But you have no idea what could result that single action, how different thing would be now if you hadn't."

Mystogan walked away, leaving the sobbing girl behind. Happy quickly went up to comfort her.

"Everything dies," Mystogan said as his body seemed to disappear into thin air. "But if you keep them in your heart, they will live on forever."

Lisanna looked up when she heard this. She once said this to Elfman. She glanced at the hooded man, curious how he knew about the saying, but he was already gone.

"Lisanna?" Happy said timidly, pulling on the girl's sleeves. She looked at the blue cat and picked it up, holding him in a tight embrace.

"C'mon, Happy," she said, heading for the exit that had formed in the cave wall.

-.-

"Mystogan?!" Erza exclaimed when she heard the news. She, Gray, and Loke were all waiting back at camp. After a crushing defeat, they all regrouped at the losers' camp to wait for everyone who didn't make it through the trial.

"I guess that explains who the mystery guest is," Gray said, taking a bowl of soup from Erza.

"Aye," Happy said after explaining everything to the trio. "He managed to kick Lisanna's butt in five seconds flat!"

"Five seconds?" Loke repeated. "Then why'd it take so long for you guys to join us?"

"Mystogan was really taking it easy on her for the first half of the fight."

Gray and Loke's faces sagged when Happy said that.

"Taking it easy," they both moaned, thinking about their match with Erza.

"I still can't believe Mystogan agreed to take part in the trials," Erza said. "He wasn't with the rest of us when we arrived."

"And he left after it was all over," Happy added. Before they could continue, three more figures emerged from the forest.

"Hey, guys," Mira greeted as she led the mages she just defeated to the camp. "What's up." Gray could see her opponents were even more banged up than they were. In hindsight, getting Erza was lucky for him. Even if she wanted to test him, she probably wasn't going all out. Guess she was taking it easy on him too.

"Guess that leaves Laxus," Loke said. "You think those guys stand a chance against him?"

A clap of thunder could be heard in the distance.

"Nope," Gray said.

The new arrival quickly took some bowls of soup and took a moment to relax. Even Mira took a bowl. She sat at the table right next to Erza and took a sip, pausing to consider the flavor.

"Salt," she said. Erza looked at Mira in confusion. "The soup's actually not half bad. But the vegetable to spice ratio is off." Erza stepped aside to let the She-Devil work her magic, mixing in not just salt but a number of spices into the soup, and stirring it. She held the ladle up to Erza's mouth, who took a sip. The red-head's face brightened by the new flavor. Mira gave Erza wink before taking a seat to add some spice to her soup too.

"Hey, Mira, guess what!" Happy called out. "We got to face Mystogan!"

"Say what?" Mira stuttered, nearly spilling oregano into her soup.

"That's right! He kicked our butts but as it turns out, the mystery opponent Master talked about was Mystogan!" Mira took a moment to look around when she heard this. Gray and Loke were both enjoying the soup Erza had prepared. The scarlet witch was poured a bowl for Happy too.

"Hey," Mira said. "Where's Lisanna?"

-.-

From the beach, Lisanna watched the birds fly off into the distance. She needed time to think about what Mystogan said. She initially resented him for forcing her to relive her worst nightmare. But now, she was beginning to appreciate taking the time to reflect on what happened.

History changed by a single statement…

It was pretty much agreed by everyone that Natsu was the guild's heart and souls. With his brash antics, big heart, and constant quest to grow stronger, he pretty much was the embodiment of Fairy Tail. Everyone was affected by his death, some more than others. She knew Gray pretended he didn't change, but Lisanna couldn't help but notice he hadn't participated in a single guild brawl since Natsu was gone. Erza had the biggest change. She stopped cracking down on the guild's antics, only doing so in extreme situations. She also noticed her weapons and armor had also changed after Natsu's death.

Then there was her. She had been training obsessively for two years to grow stronger. Being able to train under Mira was a huge help and Gray and Erza also lent a hand.

"Hey," Mira called out. Lisanna turned around, not expecting her older sister to be there.

"What're you doing here, Mira?" Lisanna asked as the goth walked up to her little sister.

"I heard about what Mystogan did," Mirajane said. "My fist has a few things to say to that hooded freak when I see him."

"It's fine, Mira. He only did it because I asked him to." Lisanna fell silent again. But then she thought of something she wanted to ask. "Mira, what do you think would've happened if I didn't insist Natsu come with us on that mission?"

"Lisanna, I'm the reason he's dead. I asked him to fight The Beast with me while you evacuated the town."

"I think we both know that he would've insisted on fighting even if you hadn't asked." Lisanna looked back to the horizon, her eyes on the flapping wings of the birds, wondering if Mystogan was right, wondering if those flapping wings really would cause a tornado far into the future, wondering what things would be like if she had just kept her mouth shut.

Mira sat down beside her younger sister, watching the birds she was looking at fly into the distance. She always did love animals.

"Hey, if one of them lands beside you, you gonna sing a song to them?" Mira teased.

"You're not funny."

"Eh, I am to me."

-.-

For the sixteen wizards, this was a taste of what it took to become an S-Class and it was terrifying. None of the teams that faced the S-Classes passed so only two teams made it to the second round where they were eliminated.

"There's always next year!" Makarov said with a hopeful tone. He insisted it was normal for an S-Class trial to have no winners but it didn't make anyone feel better. With the trials complete, they all headed back to the guild hall.

"WE'RE HOME!"

Gray and Lisanna dove out of the way as a man came hurling toward them, hitting Mira in the face. Makarov couldn't bring himself to speak, mortified by the sight. The entire guild hall was a mess, the wizards duking it out for dominance. By the bar, Elfman had taken cover behind the counter.

"Help," he whimpered. Tables and chairs were flying in all directions, spells shooting left and right like ricocheting bullets.

The doors to the hall exploded off their hinges as Mirajane rose from the floor.

"Alright," she growled. "That's it! I saw you throw him at me!" Mira took off like a rocket after a fleeing Nab. Erza just gave a gentle chuckle at the sight.

"It's good for them to get their frustrations out once and a while," she remarked, hands on her hips. "Well, I guess it's time for us to break it up." She was about to do just that when Nab collided with her.

"That's what you get, Nab!" Mira yelled triumphantly. Little did she know…

"Watch it, you oaf!" Erza roared, flinging a screaming Nab like a spear back at Mirajane.

"Would somebody stop 'em!" Macao cried out as the S-Class witches went at it. "This is getting crazy!"

"I'll be cleaning the bar," Lisanna said, not wanting to get in all the fighting. She returned to her position, looking back at the chaos. Mystogan's words still echoed in her mind, his statement about how a little action can cause such a big change. She didn't know how life would be different if she hadn't made that one sentence but this was the hand she was dealt. It wasn't the flapping wings of a butterfly that was turning the wheels of her fate, it was the wings of a fairy.