AN: There are words spoken, and words unspoken. To be a master of both is to be a great politician. To control everything you do, to always have a purpose... that is the mark of a great man.
Erza's secret is still hidden, albeit I cant tell how well, given I know the secret and outward perspectives turned inward are unreliable like that... anyway, on with the chapter. Dont take anything at a surface level, though, there is always more to it.
The party had ended on a high note, with several couples getting together, though which ones would last once the drunken haze had passed was debatable. Jellal was quite amused at some of the more ridiculous things going on with the guild, far more so than when he observed them from afar. It turned out that Gray was an extremely happy/goofy drunk, which was probably why there were ice sculptures of several people, still in the guild. Ice magic at a level where the ice did not melt from basic heat... Jellal had to wonder how powerful Gray was, because this ability was conflicting with what he observed at the Tower of Heaven. Either way, it did not lessen the amusement he felt at the events.
Natsu was one of the few who had not gotten drunk, as according to Erza he was a sad drunk, which no one wanted to deal with, least of all Natsu himself. Jellal could respect that. Most believed it was unhealthy to keep one's problems to themselves, but this was not entirely true. Emotions grow similar to the way muscles do. The more someone allows themselves to react in anger, the more often they will get angry. Growing with use, that is. Natsu was a strange one, though. He had moments of insight that were quite profound, yet the man himself was an idiot in every other way. He could get away with it, mind you, because he knew how people worked, if only instinctually.
Lucy, however, was an angry drunk, having caused that entire brawl last night due to her drunken state. She REALLY loved to punch people, it turned out. She had almost gotten Jellal involved by trying to punch him, but Erza took his place and... well, the brawl advanced from there, even if Jellal never got involved. He... did not feel right with it. Erza no doubt knew this, which was why she intervened like she had, not that Lucy could really muster the physical strength to harm Erza. That was an inherent weakness with mages, particularly long range mages, he supposed. No physical might. He had enforced a rule on himself, that for each spell he learned he would increase his physical training as well. Perhaps she would benefit from the same...
However, Natsu being sober, as well as Gray and Lucy being mildly hungover, were what caused Jellal's current situation. Erza seemed to be on their side, as well, so Jellal was quite unsure how to proceed...
"Why do you want me to train you?" That was the million jewel question, as these three fought vastly different from what Jellal fought like. Jellal was a constant force, always doing something, and always having purpose, using previous attacks to set up future attacks. He may use a lot of hand to hand, but unlike Natsu he also constantly switched between that and ranged spells.
In his eyes, the three who wanted training were rather simplistic in their abilities and fighting styles. Natsu was simply a brawler, using fire to increase the damage that his fists caused, but not really understanding just how much he could benefit from that fire. He had a good mind for battle, but that was it. Gray was more skilled than strong, but still matched up against Natsu physically. Unlike Natsu, however, Gray knew exactly how to use his magic to enhance his combat abilities, even if he was a bit uncreative with it at times. Lucy... she simply did not know how to fight. She was a straight summoner, nothing more and nothing less. Perhaps if she developed more skill with that whip, but that was not a weapon he had any sort of knowledge about.
Then there was Erza. Erza was a very dangerous fighter because of the sheer versatility of her armory. Jellal had quite a repertoire of spells, outnumbering anyone he had met before, due to his desire to rely solely on himself. Abyss Break had been his goal, but the journey had given him many other benefits as well. Still, Erza's fighting style was more refined than his own, certainly more focused on countering abilities. It was amusing, actually, that her abilities used her opponent's abilities against them, while his own style used his spells to build on and gain power from. They were opposites in quite a few ways...
"Because you did something no one else did." Natsu replied, looking serious for once. He really wanted this training, then... "You stood up to me when I was in Dragon Force, even if I outmatched you during it, you still would have won if you had launched that last attack. No one else has done that, so you are the best choice for me to train with. You even use hand to hand like me too!" Natsu was much less serious when he said that last line, a giant grin on his face, and a chuckle in his voice.
Gray spoke up. "You know more magic than anyone I know of, and you know how to use it. Besides I cant let flame-brain get this kind of training and miss out." He was acting much less serious that Natsu had at first, but perhaps that was due to the hangover...
Lucy frowned, looking towards her feet. "I... Im tired of hiding behind everyone else just because Im weak. My spirits are the strong ones, and I dont want that. The most I do is summon them then sit back and I just become a spectator, I dont feel right leaving it all up to them."
Each of them had good reasons, although Gray's was a bit less obvious than the others. Natsu and Gray would make one hell of a tag team later on, once they learned teamwork. Lucy obviously needed the most work, but that was to be expected. Unlike Natsu, who had been trained by a dragon from early childhood, and Gray, who had been trained by Ur, someone close to Wizard Saint level, Lucy was complacent most of her life, simply existing and practicing her magic as a form of distraction from her childhood, rather than a goal. She was also less physically inclined, for much the same reasons. Levy was probably the only person in the Guild physically weaker than Lucy.
Jellal paused for a moment. There was another who should share in the training, if he did train them. Happy was part of the team too, especially for Natsu. His magic was about speed and flight, but he had rather bad stamina... An easy, if lengthy, fix. "...Very well. I will train all four of you. Lucy, meet me at the entrance to the forest at 6am tomorrow. Natsu, meet me at Noon in the Guildhall. Bring Happy. Gray, 6pm, Guildhall." Six hours was enough for training, discussion, planning, and a meal. Tomorrow would be quite a busy day for him.
Erza spoke up. "We have another week before the Festival, so taking six days to train, and one to rest would be the best solution."
Ah, Jellal knew of the Festival. It was quite an extraordinary event, though he had never been personally. It would be quite different to be part of it... "Why would they need training for the Festival, though?"
Erza paused, seemingly confused, but Jellal felt she was less confused and more contemplative... "I was debating asking Master for a tournament, open to the public, as part of the Festival."
Gray frowned, not enjoying the idea, apparently. Quite odd... "But what about the destruction?"
Jellal spoke up again, recalling a bit of information he had collected while part of the Council. "In certain circumstances, Guilds may purchase the services of each other, and there is a Council-Controlled Guild called Dragon Heart, who specialize in barrier magic. So long as we file the proper paperwork, even Master, myself, and Erza may be involved, allowing us to forgo the issue of Wizard Saints combating." He did not mention that it would likely require him to pull a few strings to set up, given the current state of things.
"Can we even afford that right now? I mean, Master always complains about the budget..." Lucy added in her thoughts, though she seemed somewhat hesitant to do so. She was still quite nervous with Jellal, for some reason. Actually it was more confusing how no one else was.
Natsu laughed. "Master always complains about the budget, but we do have the money. We are the top guild in Fiore for a reason." Natsu appeared to have some random knowledge about things, which was understandable, as it seemed he more just heard things than actively tried to learn them.
"In any case, Juvia, Gajeel, and Levy asked me to help them in their own training. Apparently Team Shadow Gear is having some issues due to Jet's broken leg, and Levy feels responsible. Juvia just wants to impress Gray, although it seems she also has her own goal with that as well. Gajeel... its hard to say, but perhaps he did not want to get left behind again." Erza commented, answering everyone's unasked question before they had a chance to even ask it. She seemed to love doing that, which was quite amusing.
"Alright, Im going to head to town to see if I can find a decent house." With his funds, it would be no problem to pay for a decent home. Being a Wizard Saint came with quite a few perks, but the greatest was popularity, and if one used that to its full extent, money was never a problem. Jellal did not like problems.
"You have two main choices, being a summoner. Defense or Speed, and Physical Strength or Magical Versatility. Basically, being able to take hits or avoiding hits, and melee combat, or ranged support. Those are the options of a summoner." Jellal stated to Lucy the moment she arrived, leaning against a tree.
"I... Defense and Magical Versatility." Lucy proclaimed, gaining a fire in her eyes similar to Natsu, though not quite as literal.
"Alright, then we start things simply, we increase your magic reserves and find some spells to help with your combat style." Jellal nodded, already forming a training plan in his mind now.
"How do we do that?"
"Magic reserves work like muscles, the more you use them, the more they grow. The more 'you' that you are, the stronger the magic, thats also a good rule, though not many understand it, hiding behind societal values rather than individuality. Anyway to start gaining new spells, I should see what kind of fighting style you have. So our best bet to do both at once is sparring." He explained.
"But Natsu couldnt even scratch you without Dragon Force! You must be joking..." Lucy felt an immense dread at his words, which was to be expected.
"Then you had best put your all into it." He did not activated Meteor, his favorite spell, but it was obvious the spar had begun. Lucy did not feel that dread waver at all.
Erza smiled at her new trainee, and new guildmate. It was somewhat surprising that he had asked her to help him, but she did not mind. She was always up to help out a fellow Guild Member. "So, what do you feel needs worked on?"
"Id guess my damage output. Im more durable than most, and fast too, but I dont really dish out as much damage as you, Natsu, or even Gray." Gajeel explained evenly, keenly aware of his strengths and weaknesses. Yes, he was just as hotheaded as Natsu in certain events, but he was also as calm and collected as Gray sometimes.
"Well, in that case, perhaps you should focus on precision instead of power." Erza debated in her head whether she should spell it out for him or not.
"Right, that makes sense. Thats the entire idea behind a blade, after all. Greater power over a smaller area has greater affect over that area." Gajeel nodded. Erza found herself pleased with him, reminding herself that he was not Natsu. He had grown quite a bit, after all...
"Alright then, Im going to set up some targets and obstacles, I want you to hit them as fast as possible. The key is to avoid hitting the obstacles at all, and hit every target with the utmost precision." Erza nodded, which Gajeel returned, before she began to set up the targets for him, though the gaps between the obstacles was barely enough for a sword to fit through without touching either side, causing Gajeel to wonder if what she wanted was even possible...
"No, you are losing your balance every hit you give, you need to work on footwork more, and more than that, you should be using the physical presence of your element to push forward in a way to give even more power to each strike." Jellal sighed. Natsu's fighting style was a mess, making it a wonder he had survived to this point.
"What?" Natsu asked blankly, no sign of comprehension on his face.
Jellal took a moment to close his eyes and breathe deeply. "Im going to buy you a few books I want you to read. They will help you get stronger." That shut any arguments Natsu had against it down. "But what Im saying is you should learn to keep your balance while moving like that, and that you should push your strikes with your fire, giving yourself greater speed and power in each strike. Got it?" Natsu nodded, but Jellal would probably have to explain it again, knowing Natsu.
"I have an idea, we should spar in an area where you will need to constantly keep your balance, and only your strongest hits will count, so youll HAVE to use fire like I said." Jellal paused in thought, trying to think of an area they could use, before deciding it would be easier to set up one himself. With a wave of his hand, and a modest amount of magic power, he released a spell to carve a section of trees out to create thin poles, at most an inch in diameter, high above the ground. "There we go. We shall spare on top of those."
"Thats no fair! You can fly!" Natsu yelled, paling at the idea of the spar, given what he knew.
"No flying from either of us during this spar. And... you can fly too..." Jellal was rather confused about how Natsu could forget that, given the latter half of the battle at the Tower of Heaven took place in the air.
"Oh. Right." Jellal really had to force himself to not punch Natsu then and there.
Levy was quite nervous with the idea of training with Erza, but that last mission with Shadow Gear had reinforced her doubt, and in doing so, reinforced her will to become stronger as a result. "I dont know what to start with..." She admitted to Erza, who was sitting nearby, contemplating that herself.
"Well, you arent a physical fighter, you hate seeing people hurt so becoming one would either put you at risk, or require a massive personality change." Erza surmised quite quickly. Levy knew she was right, but that did not mean it stung any less to have her flaw pointed out so clearly. "But thats not bad either, long range would suit you well. You get distanced from the pain you cause, and can act much more strategically. Furthermore, with your magic, you could never really be useless, unlike say... Natsu, or Gray, who rely on a single type of magic. Give them an opposing element stronger than them and they will fail, but your magic is much more open ended than that, even if I was simplifying it a bit... hm. Have you ever tried to learn Territory Magic? It would suit you well, especially with your current brand of magic. We can do that, or I can try to hone your physical ability, its your choice."
Levy hesitated, knowing this choice would affect her future more than what she originally intended. "I dont like the idea of physical combat... I could try to learn grappling, I guess, but even that isnt what I really want. Can you teach me Territory Magic?"
Erza smiled, accepting the choice for what it was. Levy wanted to be a support style mage, which was fair enough, as it was her choice. "I cant teach you, but I can pull some strings to get you started and help you develop it from there."
Levy nodded firmly, her eyes glaring ahead, though not at Erza, more at herself, in that 'fire in the eyes' manner. Erza liked that.
"Creation magic is all about creativity, the ability to divert from tradition and create things fitting situations rather than passing down spells from master to teacher. Thats not to say that your teacher's spells are bad, its just that your style of fighting has no doubt developed much differently than hers. You seem to enjoy using blades, and mostly physical items from your magic, making you much more versatile than Natsu, but your biggest flaw is your lack of power and speed. Physically, you are a match for Natsu, which is impressive given he is a dragon slayer, but once magic comes in, his melee combat vastly outmatches your own. I have a few ideas to help you, but most of them are problem solving, which will take time, rather than sparring like I had to with Lucy and Natsu." Jellal explained, finding that he quite enjoyed teaching others.
"Okay, but why? I can keep up with Natsu in a fight, so why dont you spar me too?" Gray demanded, that feeling of jealousy rising up in him again. No surprise. Natsu tended to outshine him because of charisma, which Gray was lacking, even if Natsu's charisma was... lackluster compared to many others.
"Because you require more of a mental development than those two. Natsu may be an idiot, but he is also creative in battle, and Lucy has both book sense and common sense, but you seem too focused on the past to push yourself to move beyond what you are now. Dont take any of this as an insult either, that would be... disappointing." Jellal narrowed his eyes, making Gray shiver, comparing Jellal to Erza in scariness. "Im going to bring a new series of challenges to you, mostly through obstacle courses, you will only be allowed to use your magic to get through, so no destroying them once I set them up. I can get Laki to help me, hopefully, so tomorrow the first should be ready."
Gray nodded fearfully, reminding himself that at one point even Erza was scared of Jellal, and with good reason.
"Do you want Gray to return your affection? Is that the only reason you decided to ask me for help."
"No, Juvia wishes to go beyond what she is currently. Juvia wishes to shine in her own light, not rely on another's, not even her beloved's."
Erza found herself incredibly pleased at that response. One might assume Juvia was the type of person to rely on another's strength, which would explain why Gray had shown no interest in her, even though there was plenty going on there... In any case, Juvia was probably the strongest person being trained currently. Her water body was incredible, and only Natsu really had a fair chance to defeat her, but that was solely due to elements. Gray had defeated her once, but that was a while back and they were both different now. Gray was too rigid, but Juvia was... flexible. She could kind of cheat with her ability of controlling water, especially having such freeform manipulation over it. Water Lock was practically cheating already.
"You need the least direction out of everyone who needs training, what you need is to become more mobile during combat, which is simple enough, but you need to hone that until it becomes instinct. The best way to do that is to spar, I suppose. You should also develop more durability in your physical body, instead of just avoiding every attack with your Water Body. It would be a great trump card, but I can understand the need to avoid taking hits like that. That being said, let us begin, I shall be going easy, so I will mostly be defending at first, but as we get more into it, I shall become more active. Prepare yourself." Then she charged, and the dance had begun.
Erza and Jellal sat next to each other, having just gotten back from their last training session for the day. Being the only ones in the Guildhall so late, they had quite a bit of privacy and quiet atmosphere. "How did it go?" Jellal questioned his childhood friend.
"They all need work, but if they work hard, they have the potential to surpass me." Erza determined, reasoning that they all showed quite a bit of skill. "What about you?"
"Well, they need... a lot of work. Lucy needs to work on her determination to grow stronger, but otherwise she has a good head on her shoulders and would make a good leader if she got her act together. Natsu... needs focus. A lot. He forgot he had the ability to fly, even. Gray is rigid and slow to change, but I think applying a bit of pressure to him in that regard helps. I did not realize he would scare so easily though..." Jellal shook his head, chuckling lightly.
"Ah, Lucy and Levy share similar problems then, they both feel responsible for being the weakest members of their team. At least in Levy's case, it is not true, but Lucy is disadvantaged in that regard because Natsu and Gray are our strongest mages below S class, though Gajeel and Juvia seem to be able to match those two. Juvia especially, her power is frightening in theory, but in application she uses it even better. She doesnt have the minute control I hoped she did, but that is good in of itself too. Once she learns to be more mobile, she will be quite capable of being S class. Gajeel is like a strange mixture of Natsu's hotheaded nature and Gray's calm surface. He is able to take constructive criticism rather well, and knows his strengths and weaknesses enough to work on them alone, as he had in Phantom Lord, but not so proud as to refuse help when offered." Erza had the strangest feeling that Gajeel would only take that criticism from certain people, but that did not need said, as it was fairly obvious he wouldnt take all people's words to heart.
"We have our work cut out for us then, haha. Im going to be sending a Thought Projection to the Capital to get a few things, is there anything you needed there for this training? If your students are anything like mine, I expect so." Jellal laughed lightly, knowing quite well how chaotic the two groups of students were.
"Well, I do need to send a message to a... friend asking for a favor. Territory magic, I think Levy would greatly benefit from it." Erza reasoned, which Jellal had to agree with, as it was a very formidable magic to deal with, and Levy's own magic would make it even more so.
"Hm. One support magic, one fighter magic, and one creative magic each. Lucy and Levy, Gajeel and Natsu, and Juvia and Gray. This is a good set up, though a bit strange. I do admit, it has been somewhat fun to teach them though." Jellal shrugged.
"Well, its good to see you coming out of your shell." Erza teased him, causing Jellal to mock glare at her.
"I do not have a shell."
"If you say so, but you do appear quite turtle-y." Erza grinned. "Im going to head home, Ill give you the message in the morning, good night." Before he could react, she leaned down and kissed him on the cheek, quickly escaping out the door.
Jellal blinked, initially confused, before he sighed in defeat. "Damnit... the one enemy I cant overpower, Emotion." He laughed hollowly. "I had hoped she wouldnt look at me in such a light..."
"Why so?" He turned to see the Master sitting next to him, mug in hand. He wondered if the man ever let it go...
"She deserves someone better."
"A childhood friend who risked his life to save her, even fighting against possession to help her as much as he could? Doesnt get much better than that lad." Makarov smiled somewhat sadly, as if that applied to him as well.
"Im not exactly a good man. My morality is vastly different from her own, I know already..." Jellal sighed. "I... dont know. Maybe I just dont think either of us are ready, or maybe it is just that she deserves better, but something tells me to not do it, that Ill just end up hurting her somehow."
Makarov frowned, knowing the feeling quite well. "Each action we take has a consequence, though rarely do we intend them. Still, even when the only choices you have are bad ones, you have to choose. You arent the only one in doubt though, Erza has many of her own doubts as well."
"I cant imagine what she would doubt about herself, I mean look at her. Powerful, intelligent, beautiful... what could she have doubt in?" He felt he already knew, but he wanted the Master to confirm it, because otherwise, he might make a mistake and end up worsening things.
"Everything. Ask someone who the face of Fairy Tail is, the answer is usually Mirajane. Ask someone who the strongest member is, its either Laxus, or Gildarts. Ask someone who the smartest in the guild is, its usually Levy. She may have all those outstanding features, but she has no proof of her own abilities, seeing herself lower than she is because of it. The only thing she really has faith in is her emotions and her friends. You heard her before, saying Natsu might have already surpassed her, but we both know the truth. If Natsu and Erza were to fight seriously against each other, Erza would steamroll him in an instant. Natsu is the current strongest out of that training group too, yet she thought Levy could surpass her. Perhaps if she stagnated, but Erza is stronger than she lets herself believe. She doesnt understand her own abilities, be it power, beauty, or intellect. She simply has not done anything to solidify them in her own mind." Makarov explained.
"You are quite forthcoming with that information..."
"Did I say anything you did not already know, or at least suspect?" Makarov smirked. "You should be heading out to rest as well, since you have a long day of training tomorrow."
"Yeah, I... Ill be back in the morning. Good night." Jellal spoke uncertainly, standing and walking towards the door.
Just as he reached it, Makarov spoke up again. "Its interesting... just how much you and Erza reflect each other. In magic, appearance, and even in what you doubt, it seems... Opposites in so many regards, but perhaps you two were genuinely made for each other in that way."
Jellal paused for a moment, before leaving without another word. Makarov was right about how they were opposites, but he had to wonder if anyone else knew just what Makarov meant by that. Did they knew his flaws, with the imagine of utter confidence he gave off? No, he was alone, as he always had been. Erza was the only one who made him feel like he wasnt alone, but even then it was not quite what he had imagined. Perhaps the Master was also right in that regard, that both Erza and Jellal had their own problems to work through... But Jellal found that, for once, he could trust his emotions.
A/N: Not much action, but a lot of shit going on nonetheless. I try not to bash characters, but point out their flaws and show how easy it is to work with them, fix them, or just work around them. I do the same when teaching, and you would be surprised how little people understand about what flaws actually are... A weak man becomes strong through effort, so why does no one understand that everything works similarly? Well, either way, this chapter isnt my best, but I do like it. I hope you do as well. Till next time
No Strength Without Struggle.