Random: Making up for all the lost time… *typing*

Mikaila: She doesn't own-

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Chapter 8: Trial

{Mikaila: Hey! What about me!}

{Announcer: Now you share my pain…}

Lucy breathed in the scent of salty sea air, her enhanced senses still overwhelmed her but she had gotten the hang of it… mostly.

She held her stomach tight, feeling the effects of being a Dragon Slayer.

"Mo-motion Sickness S-SUCKS!" Mikaila clawed at the floor trying to get to Lucy.

"T-told y-you s-s-so!" she turned green and barfed.

Jason took the girl into his arms and carried her below deck bridal style muttering a quick "I'll clean that up later".

Laxus nodded in agreement.

Lucy smiled at her cousin's protectiveness and Jason's constant mothering.

Though Fairy Tail seemed to absolutely adore the new Snow Dragon Slayer (but it was mostly Gray and Wendy who were around her, Natsu seemed to avoid being in the guild) she didn't mind, the girl was far too endearing to be hated.

[A/N: I'm not saying that because she's me. When you think of Mikaila think of Popura Taneshima from Working! Because that's what she acts like…]

Speaking of Natsu, the pink haired baka seemed off to the blonde mage.

"Natsu's been thinking REALLY hard! It's scary…"

Happy had told her the previous day but Natsu looked perfectly fine while they were watching the fight…

But he was acting strange; there was a kind of thoughtfulness and seriousness in his tone and eyes.

Lucy eyed Natsu with her peripherals.

Instead of being hunched over or on the floor, as Lucy had expected him to be, he was sitting still on a barrel looking out at the ocean as if he wasn't the type to have motion sickness.

"Natsu-nii looks strangely brooding today…" Lucy turned to see a familiar set of golden eyes.

"Andromeda! What are you doing here?" Andromeda raised a brow and sighed irritably.

"I came out to take care of Mikaila-san but Jason got to her first. Now, you still haven't answered my question…" Andromeda pushed.

"Yeah Jason's so defensive…" she stood there innocently as Andromeda tapped her foot impatiently.

"Fine. Yes, Happy says he's thinking" she finally answered.

"Natsu-nii… Could it be?" Lucy suddenly grew interested.

"What? What's happening to Natsu?" she probed.

"Nothing, tell Mikaila she's succeeded for me…" Andromeda waved it off.

"Wait!" Lucy yelled, but Andromeda had gone back to the Celestial Spirit World.

She sighed and went back to staring at Natsu with her peripherals.

"Natsu…" Natsu flinched, hearing her saying his name thanks to his enhanced hearing.

Natsu got up and power walked into the ship's cabin, probably realizing he was on "TRANSPORTATION".

"What's happening? What are you thinking?" she mumbled.

'And do you love me like I love you?' Lucy added in her mind.

{oOo~ That was cheesy ~oOo}

Mikaila dizzily stumbled out of her cabin as the ship harbored at Tenroujima.

"TenROUUUU! Where I accidentally spilled all of Cana's liquor into the occeeeeeaaaan-" she collapsed, again, into the sand.

"Kai-chan, we're off the boat" Wendy poked at Mikaila's slumped form.

Mikaila straightened herself up, so quick you'd miss it if you blinked.

"Right… I knew that." Gray rolled his eyes and ruffled her hair fondly.

"Sure you did KaiKai…" he snickered.

"Gray-nii" (Pronounced: Guuuuuuray-neeee!) she whined.

"Here's your cooler" Gray handed her the cooler the size of a mini refrigerator which she stuffed in her backpack.

"Arigato, Gray-nii, but why are you here? You aren't participating in the S-Class Trial…" she asked zipping up her backpack.

"A couple of unlucky souls get to fight me to get to the next round" Gray smirked.

"Unlucky? You've got nothing on Erza and Mira!" Natsu teased.

"Got something to say flame brain?" Natsu's face went blank as he stalked off ignoring Gray's taunts.

"What's wrong with squinty?" Gray raised a brow.

"Oh! Mikaila! Andromeda said to tell you you're succeeding in whatever task you are doing…" Lucy pointed out.

"No wonder!" Mikaila concluded.

"What are you talking about Kai-chan?" Wendy asked.

"Wen-chan, operation NaLu is almost solved…"

{oOo~ And so finally we get to the NaLu part of this story. It took me a while to get there so expect sucky fluff -_- ~oOo}

"Everyone, the trial this year is much like last year's trial. But this year we have rearranged the caves and only one leads to Mavis's grave. The tunnels connect and at some point everyone will face off with each other or other mages of Fairy Tail. Beware the S-Class Mages."

"And Decimo has insisted that you be given a special gift if you are worthy of her praise…"

"Mavis…" Mikaila muttered.

"Miranda 'Kaila' Victoria Dreyar, you will one day grow up to be a fine young woman. And upon mastering Fairy Law and Fairy Sphere I will give you the last piece you need to defend Fairy Tail…

Fairy Glitter. The last magic needed to complete Fairy Ju-"

"Kai-chan?"

"What is it Wen-chan?" she shook herself from her recollection deciding to ponder the matter later on.

"Which path do we take?" Wendy asked.

"Hmmm…" her eyes moved from one cave to another, two were taken.

"Juvia, Lisanna, Elfman, and Evergreen have entered the two paths. Lucy-nee, Jason, Happy and Natsu-nii haven't arrived yet" Mikaila felt a warmth spread over her as her eyes hovered over a path covered in crawling vines with crystal blue blooms.

"That way Wen-chan. I can feel it. Let's go!" she charged into the cave, Wendy close behind her.

A shadowy figure loomed over the cave's entrance, smiling.

"The Celestial Dragon and her tutor… they must know the ancient art."

"Fairy Judgment: Secret Dragon Slayer Art: Circle of Life"

{oOo~ And so the plot reveals itself ~oOo}

"Lucyyy!" the blue exceed whined.

"What IS it Happy?" Lucy inwardly groaned.

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Lucy rolled her eyes.

"Of course Happy! Trust a Writer's Intuition! The right cave is always the one that looks like the worst possible choice!" Happy drifted deeper into the cave with Lucy.

"Ok Lucy. I promised Natsu I'd protect you so…" Lucy flinched.

"He wh-"

"Manly! Making the cat take care of his girlfriend is manly!"

"Oh shush. Hello Lucy… Cat"

"Evergreen and Elfman" Lucy whispered.

{oOo~ It's getting shorter, Gomen, but I have to do some things… ~oOo}

Random: Well see ya!

Mikaila: Wait!

Random: Keep it RaNdOm ;)