So here is another chapter! Hope you guys like it. i've been forcing myself to work strictly on my stories and i'm also about to post another chapter to another story after i clean it up a little so yeah! I've been on a roll.

Hope you guys enjoy.

Sorry for any mistakes.

Btw, i love how i wrote Erza and Lucy in this one. I love their friendship and i just wanted to pull incorporate that in this story.


"You can't be serious."

"I'm serious." Erza's face softened. "i really want to become and S-class mage."

Erza shook her head before crossing her hands over her chest," if you want to train, i don't mind, but and S-class..." Lucy sighed before walking off and up to her apartment, Erza behind her.

"So what you're telling me" Lucy mumbled as she fumbled with the door. "Is that you don't care about my wishes." Erza gave Lucy an amused smile.

"Oh I care, but only about you. Are you really alright with going on missions on your own, training by yourself to be S-class?"Lucy burst into her house and slammed the door behind her before flopping on the couch.

"Don't" she warned to a Erza now sitting beside her with a smirk. "I know what you're trying to do."

"I'm not trying any thing..."

"Erza"

"Okay."

"See I knew it!" Lucy jumped up and pointed an accusing finger at her. "Scare Tactics!" Erza chuckled.

"That's not what i'm-" Lucy plugged her ears.

"LALALALALA I can't here you!" Erza held her hands up in surrender. Lucy looked over at her and lowered her arms. Erza smiled at her blonde friend.

"All i'm saying is that if you need help, i'll help you with whatever you need. But S-class?" Lucy frowned.

"Are trying to say i can't make it?"

"That's not what i'm saying-"

"Don't worry, I'll show you!"


That was two weeks ago, when Lucy had confidence in herself. Now, she didn't even think she could take another Mission. This was getting to be too much for the blonde to take, stretching her magical power to defeat stupid bandits. She was tied of it. Well, she was tired of doing it alone. She needed the rent money, but she was starting to think it wasn't worth it trying to prove something to Erza when she knew she couldn't. This was starting to really wear her down.

of course she still had Gajeel, Gray and Erza to help her, but she had something to prove. She had to show them that she could train on her own. Erza knew that she, deep down, wasn't going to be able to do it on her own, but that didn't mean she couldn't do it, let along try.

Her dreams were getting worse though. Gajeel came over about three times a day to check up on her, ask what missions she was going on next, say his goodbyes and come back about four hours later to repeat it. She missed spending real time with him, but this was something she had to do, she had to get stronger. She wrote everything down in her book and kept track of her dreams. She still woke up with out her senses, for about ten minuets at a time. It was wearing her down, but Gajeel was always there. Staying by her side until she could move and see again. And that was all she needed. He never once asked her about the missions, or doubt her ability to become S-class.

When she made it home Erza was sitting at her table sipping some tea. She glared at the red hair woman and kicked off her shoes. It seemed as if her and Natsu had switched places and now Erza was the one sneaking in at her place uninvited.

Lucy came in and sat beside her. "Why are you here?" Erza opened an eye and smiled.

"I was told you were coming back today from your mission. Surprise." Lucy felt her eye twitch. Erza stood up and pulled a cup out of cabinet and poured some tea into her cup. She handed the cup to Lucy. "Tea?" Lucy face palmed into the table and groaned. Erza set it down beside her. "Long week?"

Lucy snapped her head up with a small glare. "I'm tired of going on missions by myself. I give up. You were right i can't handle it" Erza nodded her head, the cup coming to her lips as she tipped it back.

"Mmhmm." she hummed. Lucy stood up slamming her hands into the table.

"God i hate when you do this!" Erza sighed as she set her cup down and crossed a leg.

"I wasn't the one who said they could handle it, i offered my assistance and you refused to take it. Your problem."

"I can't believe you're acting like this." Lucy slumped back into the chair and covered her face with her hands. Erza chuckled.

"Let me tell you something Lucy." Lucy removed her hand and glared over to her best friend. "Strength is something that takes time to grow. Over night strength is something useless that could be easily broken. Something that snaps easily the moment you need it." Lucy raised her eyebrow.

"I'd rather have that than no strength at all." Erza shook her head then she paused and looked back up at her blonde friend. Lucy was looking away her arms crossed over her chest and her face screwed in a small scowl.

Erza narrowed her eyes. "What are you fighting for? Why are trying so hard to be strong?" Lucy's face softened and she let her hands drop her her lap.

"I just want to be stronger period. I'm tired of people, like you, thinking i can't take care of myself. I just want to be able to prove you wrong. Why can't you understand that." Erza sighed.

"Then fight for that. Right now you're just trying to cram pressure into your body and making it seem like your gaining strength when you haven't gain anything but false belief." Erza stood and walked over to Lucy grabbing her chin and turning it up so the other woman can look her in the eyes. "Why don't we train together?"

Lucy cringed. "Together?"

"Yes," Erza said a thin grin spreading across her face. One arm tucked under her chest, while the other extended out holding Lucy's face. "I swear in one mouth, you won't be the same Lucy. Are you prepared to change?" Lucy's face darken as she nodded. "We'll start tomorrow. Be prepared for excruciating pain." Erza walked off and out her house waving goodbye. A shiver ran down Lucy's spine as she pictured what's in store for her.


The next morning, dressed in a training bra and some shorts, her long red hair pulled up into a messy bun, Erza stood before Lucy with Laxus on one side and Mira on the other. Lucy stood in her doorway staring at them. Mira waved a greeting as Laxus tipped his head back.

"Good morning, Lucy. Did you sleep well?" Ezra said. Lucy stared at them. Her hair was up in a ponytail and she was wearing yoga pants and a spaghetti strap shirt. "It's time for some training are you ready?" Lucy looked at Mira then over to Laxus.

"I don't think i am now." Laxus chuckled and Mira pulled her out the house.

"Too late for that!" she said. About thirty minutes of walking in, Erza reequipped some sunglasses and a whistle.

"Now we get started." She said. Lucy frowned at her. She pulled the whistle to her lips as Laxus and Mira stood off to the side. "Running. Let's go. Each time i blow the whistle your foot should be making contact with the ground." Lucy nodded and Erza raised her hands and began. Lucy took off with Erza right by her side. She started at a steady pace letting Lucy get used to the running before she picked up speed. Lucy ran, pumping her legs as fast as she could to keep up with Erza. She blew the whistle with faster breaths pushing her friend to her limits.

Lucy ran. She ran. And she ran. Erza watched her and dropped the whistle. "That's it, keep it up only a half a mile left to go." she picked up the whistle and made her go fasted. Lucy took off and stayed by Erza's side. Erza was running backwards and when she saw the determination in Lucy's eyes, she smiled. She turned around and took off at a faster pace leaving Lucy behind. Lucy frowned at her and took off after her. Erza grinned before she noticed Lucy right beside her. "I see it won't take you long before you already have that strength you want!" Lucy nodded and yelled back.

"I promise i'll be strong in three weeks!" Erza grinned.

"I like your determination!" They made it back to Mira and Laxus. Erza slowed her self down at a jog before stopping completely, Lucy followed her lead and did the same. Laxus whistled and grinned.

"You sure she need's training." He asked Erza looked over at her friend. Lucy pulled herself into a sitting position against the tree as Mira handed her a bottle of water.

"She still needs it." Erza smiled. "But maybe she's closer than she thinks."


Laxus walked them to the guild for his part of the training. Erza explained that all three of them had picked a subject that they would help Lucy in becoming a better mage. Erza's was stamina, and Laxus's now, was pure strength. Lucy followed after him as he lead them to the back of the guild to the training station. She walked into it and watched as he pointed to a station.

"get over there and lay down under the power rack and we'll get started. Are your hands sweaty?" Lucy looked down at them, the palms of her hands a little on the sweaty side, so she nodded and watched as Laxus grabbed a bottle of baby power and creamed it into his hand before pouring another hand full then taking Lucy's hands and coating them in the powder. "Now do this." He clapped his hands together twice and waited for Lucy to do the same. When she did he nodded one good time. "That'll help you with the grip on the bars. Come on"

Laxus walked her over to the power rack and laid her down under a weight. He checked the size, switched it, than stood behind her. "Let me see how much you can handle. Hands up, grip the weight with your arms shoulder length apart, bend you elbows and lift." Lucy did as she was told and pushed the weight up. "Now slowly lower it back down" Listening to Laxus's voice, she lowered the weight back to that rack and waited for her next order. "Keep doing that until you get muscle failure or you can't do it anymore." Lucy continued and worked herself pushing the weight over and over again. Laxus watched her and waited until he saw her struggling to get it back on the rack around her tenth time pushing it back up. He grabbed it and helped her push it onto the rack. "Alright, that was good, you can handle a good even fifty."

"That was a hundred pounds i just lifted!" Laxus grinned before letting her stand.

"That's what an even fifty means, good job" Once she was up her lead her in lower body strengthening exercises and then a few more minutes in lifting weights. By the time she was done Lucy was tired. Mira walked over and smiled at her.

"Good job Lucy!" The celestial mage smirked inspite of the ringing in her legs and arms. Not to mention her back still hurt.

"So" she said to the take over mage, "What are you training me in." Mira took a seat beside her in watching Laxus clean up their work station, putting weights back and moving the exercise ball back to where it was.

"Hand to hand combat. Also i'll be keeping track of your diet to make sure you're not gaining weight rather than losing it." Lucy raised her eyebrow.

"And whose bright idea was that?" Mira giggled and gave Lucy a slight bump in the shoulder with her own.

"Who else silly." Lucy immediately though of Erza putting her on a diet and decided she was right, Mira would have confessed if it was herself anyway. "You train a whole day in Hand to hand combat so for the rest of the day, Erza said you can rest." Lucy stood, toppled a little, and smiled at her sliver haired friend when she helped her balance herself.

"Thanks. I'll be ready tomorrow. I'm going to go home and wash up, this sweat is killing me" Mira nodded as Lucy tugged off towards her house. "I'll come back when i'm done. Tell Laxus."


Lucy pushed her door open and collapsed into her couch as soon as she made it inside and was close enough to do so. She turned over to her back and buffed out a sigh. She only did four hours with them but it felt like the whole day she'd been doing squats or running or lifting weights.

After forgetting about feeling sorry for herself she got up and walked over into her bathroom and stripped free from her clothes before hopping into a hot shower, melting away all the pain from uncontrollable shakes and muscle failure. Erza said it was going to excruciating but this hand have been something little more.

After that nice shower, she tugged on some clothes and climbed onto her bed for a quick nap before heading back in to the guild. She closed her eyes and drifted off into dreamland were a nightmare was bond to be. Before she could let herself fade away there, she could feel someone shift the bed a little and pull her onto their chest. She knew it was Gajeel there, on schedule. Always there at the right moment.

Lucy snuggled closer to his warmth and sighed a content sigh of relief. She felt like she belonged there in his arms, she felt like she was suppose to be there, like he was meant to be holding her right there, right that moment and it felt wonderful. He felt wonderful. Her head on his chest, his arm rested around her waist, their free hands joined together and laced in harmony.

Lucy opened an eye and looked up the Gajeel's closed eyes and smiled at him. "Gajeel, I'm going to be S-class" The dragon slayer sighed and nodded.

"Yeah, but i don't want you to neglect yourself too you know." Lucy tightened her grasp on him and buried her face into his chest.

"I won't."