Training, Part 1

Erza woke up everyone at the wake of dawn, much to everyone's dismay. Darren lets out a huge yawn as he, Natsu and Gray rose up from their mats. After Darren ruffles his hair and Natsu finished clicking his tongue, much to Gray's annoyance, the three got out of their tent to see the others getting up and leaving their own tents as well. It's been a day since they have left Halure, and they had set up their campsite in the middle of a large grassy field separated from the tall trees of the forest.

Alicia successfully started the campfire and Judith began cooking breakfast for everyone. Meanwhile, the other girls went to the back of their tents to brush their teeth. Darren, Natsu, Gray, Happy, Karol and Yuri walk into the trees to brush as well.

The six males stood in front of some bushes not far away from the campsite and they proceed to brush their teeth while they each hold a mug of water. After rinsing his mouth with water and spitting out its contents into the bushes in front of them, Darren turns to the others and said, "I have to say, all of this really feels nostalgic to me."

Karol spits out the contents in his mouth into the bushes before replying, "How so?"

"Well, during my youth back in my world, I remember me and my schoolmates going on a camping trip and we would set up tents and sleep together just like what we are doing at our campsite right now. And during the day, we would go through lots of intensive training and exercises together." Darren explained.

"Oh, just like what my friend and I went through back in the Rune Knight academy." Yuri implied.

"Yeeeaaahhh, similar to that." Darren said. "But anyways, once the day is over though, we would prepare our dinner and the campfire together. And then when the campfire is lit, we sit around it, eat our dinner together, talk and chat with each other, and we all sing-"

"Okay, we get it." Gray deadpanned as he rolls his eyes. "You have done similar things like this back in your world."

"Yeah, I was starting to ramble. Sorry." Darren said apologetically. "But it's just that…" His eyes softened as his lips curved into small blissful smile. "Being able to do all of this again with so many people…really does makes me feel happy. It not only helps relive those nostalgic days for me…but also make up for all the things you wish you could have done, not cherish enough of it back then and hope you can do it all over again. It does put my heart at ease a bit, and that's great."

"It sounds like you never really had a lot of friends back in your world." Natsu said.

"Yeah, you're right." Darren admitted as he nods his head. "I never really got along well with others, which is why I don't have a lot of friends. And the ones I do have…" He blows out a heavy sigh. "I really wish I could see and talk to them again."

"That doesn't sound right. Everybody should have lots of friends." Happy said.

"I think so too. But sometimes, things can be complicated…" Darren frowned. "And irreversible too."

"Hey! Are you guys done yet?!" Erza barked, causing all the males except Yuri to cringe.

"We're coming!" Natsu replied as he turns his head to the direction of their campsite.

"Good! Because breakfast is here and you better eat them while they're hot!" Erza calls out to them.

"Aye." Yuri deadpanned.

"We better get back now." Karol said.

The males hurriedly return to the campsite and see the girls gathered around the campfire and passing plates of food to each other. They sit beside them and Alicia hands Darren a plate of eggs as he sat next to her.

"Here you go." Alicia said.

"Thanks." Darren said as he takes the plate. He looks down and frowns, realizing that the only things that are on his plate are two fried eggs. He turns to the others and notices that their plates not only contain eggs but also sausages and bacon.

"Why do I only have eggs?" Darren asked in annoyance.

"Because Erza doesn't want you to eat too much before your training." Alicia replied before she began eating her own breakfast.

"That's right. Have you forgotten about it?"

Darren turns his head and sees Erza walking up to him from behind with a bold glare.

"Oh boy…" Natsu murmured as he and Gray shiver upon seeing the dark expression on Erza's face.

"It's that look again." Gray added.

"HAVE YOU?!" Erza shouted at Darren when she didn't get a response from her apprentice.

Darren jolts up from the ground and yelled, "YES MA'AM!"

"Finish your breakfast already so that we can move off." Erza said sternly to him. Darren hurriedly chows down his eggs, passes the now empty plate back to Alicia and gave a salute to his instructor.

Erza extends out her hand, magically summoning a wooden sword. As soon as she grabs its hilt, she tosses the weapon over to Darren who easily catches it. "Are you ready for your training?" She asked.

"I'm ready." Darren gave a solemn nod.

"Good." Erza said before summoning another wooden sword in her hand. She turns to Alicia and asked, "Alicia, would you like to come with us?"

"Why?" Alicia asked in confusion.

"Because I wish to take Darren somewhere far away from here for the next two days, to free himself from any distractions. But we'll need a guide to escort us back to camp when our training is done." Erza explained.

"Go on, Alicia. Do your part to help them out." Karol ordered her.

"Very well then." Alicia replied. She puts down the plates, gets up from the ground and dust off her shorts and stockings. She walks over to Erza and Darren and said to them, "I hope to get to learn more about you two."

"So do I." Darren replied.

"The rest of you will take care of yourselves while we're gone." Erza said to the others firmly.

"Aye-aye, captain." Natsu murmured.

"UNDERSTOOD?!" Erza barked at Natsu.

Natsu flinched for a moment before standing up straight and shouting back at her, "AYE-AYE!"

"Good." Erza said before turning back to Darren and Alicia. "Let's go, you two."

"I hope things don't get chaotic while we're gone." Darren said to the others.

Karol chuckled as he puts down his plate and gets up from the ground. He places his fists at the sides of his hip and confidently replied, "Don't worry guys. You can count on me to maintain peace here in the campsite, for I am the guild master of Brave Vesperia!"

"Good luck, Captain." Alicia smiled at her leader.

The three turn around and depart from the campsite, leaving their companions behind and head deep into the trees beyond.

"Good luck with your training, Darren!" Lucy cheered.

"And take good care of yourselves!" Wendy added.

Darren, Alicia and Erza nod their heads and wave goodbye to them before turning back to their front. Everyone watch them continue walking further away from the campsite until they vanish from their sights.

"Alright guys." Karol turns to the remaining denizens of the campsite. "Natsu, with your fire magic, help keep the flames of our campfire burning. Gray, Yuri, Estelle, help us find food and gather more wood for our campfire. Lucy, Sheena, tidy the tents. Happy, Carla, clean the dishes. Wendy, Judith, keep watch of our campsite. Get going, everyone!"

Everyone except Judith and Estelle stare at Karol dumbfounded. They are surprised to see such a young boy able to issue commands professionally like a true guild master. Judith turns to the others and gets up from the ground. "Well, what are you waiting for? Move out!" Judith commanded with her hands at the sides of her hip.

"Right!" Gray said as everyone put down their plates, get up and perform their assigned duties. Natsu kneels down in front of the campfire and gently blows at the flames. Judith magically summons her spear as Wendy walks over to her.

"Well, it seems we are assigned the same task together. I would love to get to know more about you." Judith said, smiling at Wendy.

"I look forward to it!" Wendy smiled back at her. As the two women walk off, Sheena grumbles under her breath as she and Lucy go over to the tents.

"Why is it that even after leaving that awful restaurant, I'm still assigned to doing cleaning duties?" Sheena muttered.

"Come on Sheena. At least we'll be working together." Lucy said encouragingly. Sheena groans as she pushes the curtain aside and enters the tent with Lucy behind her.

Karol smiled as he watches Happy and Carla cleaning the dishes with their tails. "Keep up the good work, guys. And when you're done, perhaps you can join Gray, Yuri and Estelle in finding a river and catch some fish for us." He said to the Exceeds.

"You got it!" Happy replied happily before he suddenly clean the plates at a faster rate. Carla groans and shakes her head.

"I knew that would work on him." Carla muttered before she continues cleaning the other dishes.

"You sure know how to make orders around like a true leader." Natsu complimented Karol.

"Thanks." Karol replied as he turns to him.

"So Karol, I was wondering, why do you want to form a guild of your own despite your small age?" Natsu asked.

"Well, back at Zaphias, I actually had an idol." Karol admitted, scratching the side of his chin.

"Hey, I had an idol too!" Natsu said as the smile on his face widened.

"Really?" Karol asked.

"Yup, my idol is my father Igneel." Natsu grins at the boy. "He was wise, caring, and his lessons helped me become what I am today."

"Wow, that's nice. For me, my idol is a mage named Don Whitehorse. He is the guild master of Altosk, the strongest guild of Zaphias." Karol replied, placing his hands at the sides of his hip. "He was big, tall and strong fighter. But he was still calm and friendly to everyone. He and his guild helped contribute the economy of our town and they care a lot about the well-being of its residents. His genuine kindness to everyone in Zaphias is what inspired me to join Altosk. Of course at first, the members think lowly of me because I was just a kid, but Don was actually willing to give me a chance and made me a member of his guild. It made me really happy and I will never forget that display of kindness he gave to me." Karol momentarily lowers his head and his eyes softened. "Sadly, I only knew him for a year before he suddenly died from his illness. And with his death, because everyone in Altosk was disheartened and do not wish to take over his position out of respect, his entire guild dissolved as well." He looks back up at Natsu who is still staring wordlessly at him. "But my memory of him is what inspired me to become better, and I later decided to form a guild of my own." Karol narrows his eyes boldly at Natsu as he holds up his fists and clenches them. "Now, my greatest goal in life is to make Brave Vesperia become the next strongest guild of Zaphias!"

Natsu smiled at Karol, impressed by the boy's strong sense of determination. Wendy, Judith, Happy, Carla, Lucy and Sheena also smile at the boy as they have been listening to his explanation.

Karol watched in confusion as Natsu stood up from the ground and places his hands at the sides of his hip. He grins at the boy before saying, "Well, if you are so determined to become the master of the next greatest guild of Zaphias, how about I teach ya how to fight?"

"Huh?" Karol said incredulously.

"Well, during our last fight with the eggbear, you were clearly hiding away from the action because you are scared, right?" Natsu asked.

Karol sighed and lowers his head and fists as he admitted, "Yeah, I was."

"Unfortunately, you can't be a great guild master if you are not stronger than your own followers. But no worries!" Natsu places his hand on the boy's shoulder. Karol looks back up at him again as he continued, "Let me help ya become a great fighter just like the rest of us! I'll make sure you will never get scared of a fight ever again! What do you say? Would you like me to teach you?"

As Natsu winks an eye at him, Karol stares wordlessly at him for a few moments as he felt surprised and nostalgic by his sudden offer. 'Don Whitehorse…'

Finally, a huge smile takes form on Karol's face a few seconds later. He nods his head and replied to Natsu, "Thank you so much, Natsu! I accept your offer to train me!"


For the next thirty minutes, Darren, Erza and Alicia continued walking through the forest, going over logs and weaving around tall trees along the way. Alicia led the way as she helped Darren and Erza navigate through the forest. As they walk deeper, they began hearing a rushing sound. They also see that the forest is thinning and the trees are becoming sparser from each other as they continue walking.

"Did you hear that?" Alicia asked, turning her head to Darren and Erza behind her. The two nod their heads back in response. Alicia smirked at them. "It means we are getting close."

"Close? To what?" Darren asked in confusion.

"You'll see." Erza said.

When they finally step out of the forest, Darren and Alicia widen their eyes as they and Erza arrived at a cliff. They proceed to walk nearer towards the edge of the cliff. They see that below it and in front of them is the vast blue ocean. The rushing sound they heard earlier came from the water churning and crashing into the cliff. Darren and Alicia stared at it in awe, admiring the beauty of the ocean.

"It's gorgeous." Alicia said softly, completely taken away by the beautiful scenery before her.

"Indeed." Darren said as his lips formed into a small smile. "I've never seen anything like this up close before." He slowly turned to Erza. "Erza, don't you-OW!"

Without warning, Erza jabs the tip of her wooden sword into Darren's stomach, pushing him backwards. Alicia gasped in shock and backs away as Darren bends over and groans in pain while clutching his stomach.

"You let your guard down by distractions!" Erza scolded as she holds up her sword in front of her and gets into a fighting stance. "NOW EN GARDE!"

Erza swiftly took a step forward and thrusts her sword at him. Darren quickly dodges the attack by turning to his side and slightly bending his body backwards. Alicia simply stood by idly and watched the two begin their training.

As Darren turns back to his front, Erza quickly backs away and swings her sword horizontally at him. Darren holds up his sword to block her attack. Suddenly, Erza lifts her knee up and hits Darren at the side of his stomach. Darren groans as he took a few steps backwards. But he didn't get even a full second to take a breather as Erza suddenly did a running jump and kicks him in the chest, sending him sprawling through the ground. Alicia cringed at the sight of it.

Darren lifts his head up with his eyes widened in both shock and surprise. Surprised mainly because he thought he had been practicing wushu for years back in his world, and yet he lacks the stamina and agility to see and block Erza's attacks in time. 'This is actually I tougher than I thought.'

"That was sloppy and pathetic!" Erza barked at her apprentice. "Do you even have any prior experience in fighting?"

"Well, during my youth, I would practice wushu in my school." Darren replied as he grabs his sword and slowly got up from the ground. "But that was really a long time ago, and I only got back to learning self-defense again from Sheena."

"I don't know what this wooshoo is, but if you are going to fight the Abbey and protect the people around you, you have to work twice as hard to rekindle the flames again." Erza said. "Now come at me!"

Darren lets out a yell before charging towards Erza and swinging his sword horizontally at her. Erza swiftly dodges the attack by leaning her body backwards. Before Darren could react, Erza jumps into the air and delivers a twirling kick across his face.

"OWW!" Darren yelled in pain as he places his hand on his cheek. As Erza turns back to Darren, she delivers an uppercut, hitting directly underneath his chin. This sends him stumbling backwards, dropping his wooden sword in the process. Erza suddenly charges up to Darren and stood in front of him, holding up her wooden sword in front of his throat. Darren froze with his hands held up, breathing heavily as he stares down at Erza in shock.

"Whoa…" Alicia said softly as she watched in awe. She is amazed by Erza's speed and fighting skills, but also concerned that Darren may not be able to keep up with her.

"That was the most pathetic display of swordsmanship I've ever seen." Erza said icily to Darren as she pushes aside a few strands of hair from her eyes. "NOW GIVE ME FIFTY PUSH-UPS!"

As soon as Erza removes her sword and moves aside, Darren adjusts his glasses and drops down with his hands pressed on the ground. He anxiously did his push-ups, not spending a second to turn his head and see Erza standing at his side and watching him with a dark glare.

Darren grumbled under his breath as he did his exercises. "This is going to be like National Service all over again…"


As they sat behind the campfire, Lucy, Gray, Sheena, Yuri, Estelle, Happy and Carla watch Natsu and Karol facing each other while standing several meters away from them. Wendy and Judith remain standing as they stood nearby and anticipate the upcoming session as well. Everyone had finished eating their lunch fifteen minutes ago and both Natsu and Karol are eager to begin their training.

"I totally love to see how Natsu tries to be an instructor." Gray said to Lucy with a small smirk.

Lucy glares at Gray and jabs her elbow against his right arm. "Be an optimist!" Lucy chided.

"Go Karol! I'm rooting for you!" Estelle cheered, smiling at the boy as she claps her hands. Karol gave a nod to Estelle before turning back to Natsu.

"Alright Karol. The first thing we'll do is throwing some punches." Natsu said with his hands placed at the sides of his hip.

"Umm…I don't know…" Karol replied.

"Why? Is there something wrong?" Natsu asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Natsu, I'm not a brawler. I don't fight with my fists like you. I fight with a hammer." Karol said, holding up the hammer in his hands. Upon this realization, Natsu lets his arms hang limply by his sides and stares blankly at Karol with his mouth agape and his eyes wide.

Gray groans and shakes his head. "Seriously?! He didn't notice that until now?!" He cried.

"We're really off to a great start." Yuri muttered as he buries his face into his hands.

"Umm, Natsu?" Karol asked, bewildered by the dumbfounded look on Natsu's face.

"Uhhhh…" Natsu uttered, struggling to respond to his student. He slaps himself across his face before suggesting to Karol, "Well, if that is the case, I think you'll need a weapons instructor."

"But who else can fight with a hammer like me?" Karol asked in dismay. "Using a hammer is different than fighting with a sword and spear, so I can't really have Yuri or Judith teaching me. And Erza isn't around here right now."

"Well…" Natsu scratches the back of his head, looking around in confusion until he sees Lucy gesturing him to come over. He turns back to Karol and said, "Excuse me for a moment."

"Okay." Karol said dishearteningly as he puts his hammer down on the ground. Natsu turns and runs over to Lucy.

Lucy gets up from the ground and asked Natsu when he is near her, "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Yeah." Natsu nodded. The two walk away from the others and the campsite.

When they are several meters away from the campsite, Natsu grabs his hair in despair and cried to Lucy, "Aaaggghhh! I don't believe this! Why didn't I realize he wasn't a hand-to-hand combatant like me before I agreed to be his instructor?!"

Lucy sighs heavily. "You are always such an idiot." She said.

"Lucy, what should I do?!" Natsu asked, hoping to receive a satisfying answer from his friend.

Lucy gave Natsu a reassuring smile as she folds her arms and said, "Well, do you still remember the fights you have with anybody who wields a hammer or a similar weapon?"

Natsu rubs his chin and pouts as he pondered, "Well, there was this Rala guy back at the Sun Village years ago."

"Oh yeah, I remember that." Lucy deadpanned.

"Oh! And I remember how your celestial spirit Taurus swings his axe!" Natsu said with his eyes widened.

"That's right!" Lucy perked up. "Do you remember how they fought with their weapons?"

"Well, it's basically just swinging around and down but also holding up the weapon with strength and precision while fighting too." Natsu said.

"Correct." Lucy nods her head. "And I know you never use a hammer or axe before, but at least you can still teach Karol with what you have visualize."

"Hey, that's right! Thanks Lucy!" Natsu grins as he places his hand on Lucy's shoulder.

"Heh. You're welcome!" Lucy smiled back at her friend as she places her hands behind her back. The two walk back into the campsite, with Natsu eager to continue his training with Karol.

"Alright Karol. Let's-" Natsu suddenly cuts himself off when he noticed something unexpected happening in the campsite right now. In the distance, he sees Gray lecturing Karol while holding his makeshift hammer made of ice, and the small boy attentively listens to him as he speaks. Natsu's jaw plummeted as he stares at the display in shock and horror for a few seconds before screaming at the top of his lungs, "WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?!"

"Oh, while you two were gone, Gray volunteers himself to be Karol's instructor since he had fought with a giant hammer with his Ice-Make magic." Sheena explained.

"Oh right, how can we forget about Gray's Ice-Make: Ice Hammer?" Lucy said as she throws her head back and places her hand on her forehead.

Natsu's look of shock soon distorts into a grimace of pure rage. He growls and shakes his fists uncontrollably as he watches Gray training who was supposed to be his apprentice. "THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!" Natsu bellowed as he runs over to the two.

"Natsu!" Lucy cried out to her friend.

"This is not going to be good, isn't it?" Estelle asked nervously.

"I believe so." Yuri replied grimly. Gray stops his lecturing for a moment as he and Karol lower their weapons and turn their heads to see Natsu running over to them, quivering with rage.

"GRAY!" Natsu shouted as he stops and stands beside Gray. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

"What does it look like? Since you couldn't teach Karol here because you never fought with a hammer, I choose to have him under my wing instead." Gray said, arching an eyebrow at Natsu.

"I think you meant he's under my wing!" Natsu yelled at Gray.

"WELL HE'S MY STUDENT NOW!" Gray snapped.

"NO HE AIN'T!" Natsu shouted back.

"SHUT UP, FLAME BREATH!"

"ICE CUBE SUCKER!"

Everyone present in the campsite stare blankly at the two men as they continuously argue and shout several creative nicknames at each other.

Wendy sighs heavily before murmuring, "Where's Erza when you need her?"

"GUYS! STOP!" Karol shouted, which is thankfully loud enough to make Natsu and Gray stop their pitiful argument. The two men turn to the boy and stare at him questioningly. "Look, if it makes you both feel better, I guess I can have two instructors. Is that okay?"

Natsu and Gray glare at each other before turning back to Karol again. "Alright." The two said in unison and nod their heads at the same time.

Karol sighs in relief. 'I hope Darren has better luck than me.'


For the next two hours, Erza gave Darren plenty of exercises while Alicia idly watches them. First, Erza orders Darren to lie on the ground and do sit ups. She stood in front of him with her wooden sword held firmly in her hand. Darren huffed every time he pulls himself up from the ground with his hands placed on the back of his head. Every time he gets up, Erza will swing her sword horizontally at his head. Darren would quickly lie back down on the ground before her sword could hit him and the process repeats.

Afterwards, Erza and Darren stood in front of each other as they grasped their wooden swords while Alicia sat nearby against a tree and ate a loaf of bread that she had kept inside her pouch. Erza lets out a yell as she swings her sword vertically at Darren, delivering an overhead strike. Darren quickly reacted by holding up his sword and blocking her attack. However, only a brief second after the two stayed at a stalemate, Erza quickly lifts up her knee and hits him in the stomach.

"ARGH!" Darren groaned as he bends over. This allows Erza to push him on his chest, sending him reeling backwards until he trips and falls to the ground.

Next, Erza and Darren go over to a tree that has a large horizontal branch grew out of its side. She instructs him to grab onto the branch and do fifty pull-ups. Darren grits his teeth and snarled as he slowly pulls himself up until his chin reached over the top of the branch. Afterwards, Darren throws himself back down without having his feet touching the ground and repeats the process. The fact that he is using every ounce of strength he had to pull himself up made him realized how long he hadn't been doing any intense exercises.

While Darren does his pull-ups, Alicia and Erza leaned against the tree. The latter is holding a copy of 'Sorcerer Magazine' and the two girls read it together.

Alicia chuckled as she and Erza read an interview inside the magazine. "Sherria Blendy is so adorable." She commented.

"You can ask Wendy if you want to know even more about her." Erza said to Alicia.

"Really? She knows her?" Alicia asked, looking surprised.

"What did you say?" Darren asked, stopping for a moment and turning to the two women.

"Did I say you can stop and talk?!" Erza shot a glare at him. Darren flinched. He turns back to his front and continues exercising.

Next, Erza and Darren stood in front of each other again. By that point, Darren is feeling completely worn out, much of his exhaustion contributed from the pull-ups. Erza swings her sword vertically again and Darren blocks it by holding up his sword. She lifts her knee up, but this time, Darren shoves it away with his free hand.

"Heh." Darren smirked at Erza triumphantly. But without warning, Erza stomps on Darren's foot, making him throw his head back and yell in pain. This allows Erza to push him in the chest again and sends him reeling backwards.

Afterwards, just when Darren thinks his training session couldn't get any tougher, he is doing push-ups again. Only this time, Erza is sitting on his back Indian-style and continues reading her magazine. This time, she's reading the poll results for 'Who is the most attractive mage in Fiore?' Alicia on the other hand has gone off to gather wood for a campfire.

Erza clicks her tongue as she sees the poll results for the women. "Jenny Realight is second? Come on, she isn't that attractive compare to Mira." She mumbled.

"When I'm done…can I…see how Jenny…looks like?" Darren asked, struggling to speak between his push-ups.

"No." Erza said flatly, her eyes fixated on her magazine. Darren groans as Erza gently turns to the next page with her fingertips.

Finally, Erza and Darren stood in front of each other once again. As soon as Erza's stomach did a twist, Darren immediately lifts his sword up, knowing she is about to deliver an overhead strike again.

But instead, Erza swings her sword horizontally and Darren yells in pain as it hits the side of his stomach. He stumbled to side for a moment before Erza pushes him in the chest, sending him reeling backwards again. As Darren trips and falls to the ground, Erza lowers her weapon and shakes her head in disappointment.


Back at the campsite, Yuri and Estelle continue watching Natsu, Gray and Karol as they sat behind the campfire. Sheena has gone back into her tent to take a nap while Lucy, Happy and Carla have gone off to gather more wood for the fire.

Meanwhile, Natsu and Gray growl at each other before turning back to Karol.

"Alright, Karol." Both men said to the young boy in unison, much to his discomfort. Judith shakes her head as she and Wendy watched while standing nearby.

"Y-y-yes?" Karol asked nervously.

Gray gets into his fighting stance while holding his ice hammer steadily in his hands. "Relax yourself and calm your mind in order to keep your hammer steady in your hands." He instructed.

"And then swing it down when you are near your enemy." Natsu said as he points at a human statue made of ice behind Karol. The statue is clearly a creation of Gray which he has kindly provided for the training session. Karol turns around to face the statue while clinging onto the hilt of his hammer.

"Okay." Karol said. He holds the hammer in front of him while gazing at the statue. He takes a deep breath, slowly lifts his hammer up and-

"Halt. Are you aiming at the statue's head?" Natsu asked Karol.

"Yeah, I think so." Karol said, lowering his hammer while gazing at the statue in front of him.

"Okay, just asking." Natsu said before backing away from the boy.

Karol breathes heavily again before slowly lifting up his hammer-

"Wait! Your arms are shaking." Gray said, staring at Karol's arms.

"Huh? Am I?" Karol said as he lowers his hammer again and examines his arms.

"No he wasn't." Natsu said to Gray irritably.

"But I did notice them shaking a little bit." Gray said to the Fire Dragon Slayer.

"I guess you're both stupid and blind." Natsu muttered.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Gray shouted at Natsu.

"YEAH YOU HEARD ME!" Natsu snapped back.

"YOU BETTER SHUT UP OR I'LL KNOCK YOUR BRAINS OUT, CHARCOAL HEAD!"

"YOU SHUT UP TOO, FREEZER MOUTH!"

"THAT'S IT! I HAVE ENOUGH!" Karol screamed at the top of his lungs. Natsu and Gray instantly went silent and look back at the boy as he places his hammer down in frustration and whirled about. The two men widen their eyes as they see Karol snarling back at them.

"I HAD IT! I JUST HAD IT!" Karol continued shouting in rage as he stomps his foot. "All I just want is a decent training session from two members of the strongest guild in all of Fiore! But instead, for the last few hours, both of you are more focused on arguing among yourselves who is so much better while I am pushed to the wayside and not being taught anything!"

Realizing his mistake, Natsu tried to reply back to Karol, "K-Karol, I'm so sorry. I-"

"Shut up!" Karol yelled angrily as he jabs his finger at Natsu. "I accepted your offer to be my trainer because I thought you cared about me. But I guess I was wrong!"

"Karol, please calm down." Gray tried to reason with him.

"Then what?!" Karol turns to Gray and barked at him. "So that I can continue listening how stupid Natsu is compare to you? Yeah, as if I haven't known that for the last few hours! I…GAAAHHH!" Karol clutches the sides of his head and throws himself back before turning away from the two men and hastily walks back to his tent in rage and frustration.

As Natsu and Gray wordlessly watch their apprentice depart, they couldn't help but feel a heavy amount of guilt and shame inside them. The two continue standing there in a state of shock and remorse until they heard a cough.

"Ahem." The two men turn around to see Judith standing behind them. The woman glowered at them with her arms folded. "You two really should be ashamed of yourselves." Judith chided them. "Karol is a bright boy who is eager to learn something new and train himself hard. Yet you squandered his opportunities by only caring about yourselves."

Natsu and Gray lower their heads. "I guess we overdid it…" Gray murmured as he folds his arms.

"We were so focused on fighting each other until we lost sight of our main priority." Natsu said softly with his hands placed at the sides of his hips.

"You can make up for it by first reflecting upon your actions. Then, once you two have sorted it out, go directly to him and apologize. And when you do that, it better be from your heart." Judith turns around and walks off, leaving the boys to contemplate what she had said.

Moments later, Natsu and Gray look up at each other and nod their heads.


As he and Gray stood outside the tent, Natsu pushes the curtain aside to see Karol sitting on his mat with his head hanging down dejectedly.

"Hey there, are you okay?" Natsu asked Karol in concern as he and Gray slowly entered.

"Yeah, I've calm down. I guess." Karol replied wearily.

Natsu and Gray go over to the boy and sat beside him. "Karol, we're really sorry for what happened and what we did." Gray said apologetically.

"Yeah, what we did was really terrible." Natsu added.

Karol sighs painfully. "It's alright. I forgive the both of you. But I just want all of us to get along and work together. Isn't that what a guild is all about? That's what Don Whitehorse always tells us back at Altosk."

"Yeah, you're absolutely right. Unfortunately it seems we have forgotten what our own guild master taught us as well back there." Natsu said. "So Gray and I have thought of a better way to teach you. Instead of the both of us teaching you at the same time, Gray and I will take turns in doing so."

"We still wish to help you, Karol. But this time, we'll need to have less arguments and more discipline." Gray added.

Karol perked up as he looks back at Natsu and Gray. "Sounds good to me!"

Natsu and Gray smile back at Karol before the former said, "So what are you waiting for? Let's get back out there and continue our training!"

Karol nods his head in agreement. "Thanks guys. I really appreciate it."


Sovereign: I would like to thank AquaBluey for reviewing, bahall1964 for favoriting and following and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for checking out my story. Thanks guys!