Disclaimers: I Don't Own Fairy Tail

Author's Notes: I know I was supposed to work on GPE and Chaos Wheel. But lately I been getting more ideas for Romeo Rising. So I'll say this: I want to at least get to the beginning of the actual Grand Magic Games before I switch to the other two, and before I forget these ideas. Please enjoy, and review if you want. Also this story has gained over 1600 views since it's been published; let's keep it up. I'd also like to thank Aquacharles, RainbowFire03 and Zaphod Scotman for the fav and follows, and RainbowFire03 for the review.

This Chapter has been Beta by KittyCrow12 author of the wonderful Fairy Tail story "Hey There", give it a read if you have the chance.

Chapter 10

Aftermath

Previously on Romeo Rising

"Romeo Conbolt, you are hereby sentenced to…."

The whole guild listened to Master's every word.

"A three-month training session with Gildarts as your instructor."

The whole guild hall went quiet for a few seconds before everyone yelled "WHAT?!"

"WHAT?!" the whole crew of Fairy Tail screamed.

"What do you mean you're sending my only son on a training session with Gildarts?!" screamed Macao.

"What do you mean he'll be gone for three months?!" Wendy and Lindsay both screamed.

"What do you mean I'll be going on a training session with Gildarts for three months?!" Romeo asked.

"If you're off training Romeo, when do I get to fight you?!" Natsu screamed.

This along with other questions were being asked all at the same time.

"ENOUGH!" Makarov screamed. "One at a time."

"Master Makarov, I have always followed your orders without question, and respected them, but letting Romeo off so easily after what he did the other day, I cannot stand aside quietly this time," Erza injected to Master Makarov.

"Getting let off easy? Is she serious?" thought the guild.

"I was fully aware of your opposition to this punishment even before I issued it, Erza." Makarov said, "But I am the guild master here, and my word is final." He gave her a look that suggested that he knew about her little power trip back at Balsamico's palace when she tried to deny Romeo his payment for the job.

Erza, seeing that the argument wasn't going to end in her favor, and seeing she would most likely be reprimanded later for not telling the master about that little detail of the mission, just bowed and walked away. The red head did punch a hole into the wall, and gave Romeo a cold glare before she left. Romeo, proving once again he has a bigger pair than most of the guys at Fairy Tail, just glared back.

"Wow, she really doesn't like you," Lindsay said. "What happened?"

"I'll tell you later one day, but now's not the time," Romeo said, never taking his eyes off Erza. As soon as she walked outside, his thoughts returned to his punishment, which his dad was trying desperately to get him out of by pleading with Makarov and Gildarts.

"Oh geez, I am so fucked here," Romeo thought desperately.

"Come on, think of this as an opportunity to become stronger… or be mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually (in a way) scarred for life," Acnologia said.

"How very thoughtful of you, bastard."

"That's what I'm here for… well that and making you aware of the opposite sex, which you should be paying attention to right now with the sky-Slayer vermin coming over here," Acnologia said.

Romeo looked to his right to see Wendy moving toward him with a somewhat embarrassed look on her face.

As she stopped in front of Romeo, he noticed she had a slight blush on her face. They stood there awkwardly for a few moments looking at each other; all the while, Lindsay stood in the middle looking back and forth between them with a confused look on her face.

"Say something," Acnologia said.

"Uh… Hey Wendy, what's up?" Romeo said.

"….. Are….You….Fucking….Serious?"

"What?"

"'Hey Wendy, what's up?' That's the only thing that comes to your mind?" Acnologia said.

"She caught me off-guard okay?!"

"Whatever Casanova."

Romeo decided not to argue any further with the dragon. He then noticed Wendy hadn't answered his question yet.

"Hey Wendy, is there something you need?" he asked.

"Um, Romeo, could you possibly come outside with me for a moment? I have something really important I have to tell you…" she looked over at Lindsay, "alone," she finished.

Romeo looked over to the rest of the Guild and saw them pretty much embroiled in the arguments that his father and Wakaba were having with Master Makarov. It seemed no one would notice him slipping off for a second to see what Wendy wanted. He was about to tell her yes, when he noticed Lindsay with an annoyed look on her face.

"Hey Lindsay, you okay?" he asked.

"Oh sure; I'm just dandy," she said with a sarcastic tone, but unfortunately for Lindsay, Romeo didn't pick up the hint.

"Okay, Wendy and I are going to go outside for a moment; we'll be back soon," Romeo answered back, following Wendy outside. He didn't even see Lindsay face palm herself at the exact moment a certain soul eating dragon is face palming himself.

Romeo took a few steps before a white blur moved in front of his face. Floating there just a few inches away from his face was Carla with a very annoyed look on her face. She was sharpening her claws with a file while not even looking at Romeo; she was more focused on her nails.

"Listen here brat, Wendy asked me to stay inside for this 'discussion' she wants have with you," she said.

She stopped filing, gave her claws a few swipes through the air, and then looked directly at Romeo.

"I swear by Mavis or whatever god you worship, if she doesn't come back in here with the same mood she in now or better, I will rip your eyeballs and your balls out and swap their positions on your body when I reattach them; got it?"

With that comment, she flew away to join Happy, but not without giving Romeo one last glare.

Romeo stood there for a second, trying to figure out if that moment had really just happened. Then he just shrugged and moved to follow Wendy, who now seemed more distraught than ever.

Outside the Guild Hall

After they got outside, they walked for a bit before Wendy suddenly stopped. Romeo, curious about the sudden stop and the fact that Wendy hadn't said anything yet, reached out a hand to tap her shoulder but was suddenly caught in a hug instead.

Romeo face couldn't get any redder as Wendy held the hug for a couple of seconds before pulling back with a huge blush on her face.

"I'm really sorry for how I've been acting lately, with me avoiding you after the palace mission and running from you after your fight with Gajeel," she started to say. "I shouldn't have acted that way, especially when Elfman told me you were trying to apologize for me."

"Elfman did that? I have to remember to thank him later," Romeo thought, then realized he should have been the one apologizing.

"Wendy, there's really no need for you to apologize when I was the one being the jerk. I mean, all you were trying to do was make sure I was okay and I snapped at you, and for that I'm sorry," Romeo said with a smile on his face.

Wendy's blush lit up her entire face.

"Well, I-I mean… You, sorry, not your fault," she started to stutter before finally bowing and taking off towards the guild hall. The doors opened up to reveal Elfman just as Wendy got to them. Saying a quick "excuse me" to him, she sprinted past him into the hall, face still red. Elfman raised an eyebrow before looking back at Romeo, who just nervously shrugged.

"The Master and Gildarts would like to speak with you Romeo," Elfman said.

"Can't wait to hear what they have to say," Romeo thought.

"Me too; this ought to be good," Acnologia chimed in.

As Romeo walked up to the doors, he looked up at Elfman.

"Elfman, Wendy just explained to me that it was you who told her about the incident the yesterday," he said.

Elfman nodded "It was me."

"Thanks."

"Please, I only did what any other MAN would do help someone who aspiring to be a MAN," Elfman said.

"Huh?"

"You see Romeo, to become a MAN, one must face obstacles and overcome them, like you did with Velveno," Elfman said.

"I thought everyone disapproved of the fact I killed Velveno," Romeo said.

"While not everyone is happy about what you did, the fact remains you did it in self-defense," Elfman informed Romeo.

"Okay," Romeo said.

"Now you see, you have already faced three obstacles and overcome two of them so far," Elfman began to say. "The first one was Velveno; the second one was standing up to Erza, something no one who isn't S-Class and above or Evergreen (Damn that confusing woman) has ever done. And third was like a MAN you fought Gajeel and held your own for a while."

"He would freak out if he knew about my fight with Gildarts," Romeo thought.

"But I didn't even win the fight with Gajeel, and there's still the issue with Erza," Romeo countered.

"It's not always about winning the fight Romeo; it's about the fact that you didn't back down from it," Elfman said. "And besides, because he's a MAN and I'm a MAN, I know for a fact he respects you more now for actually standing up for yourself."

"Seriously?"

"Trust me, I'm a MAN."

"But I'm the one who started it."

"Small UnMANly detail," Elfman scoffed.

"And Erza?"

"Time will tell, Romeo, time will tell. Now come inside," Elfman said as he turned around.

Romeo nodded then started to head inside, but not before suddenly sensing eyes on him. When he turned to look, he saw Erza glaring at him from afar from inside the woods, while sharpening her sword. They locked eyes for what seemed like an eternity, all the while Erza sharpening her blade the only sound heard throughout the area, before Romeo finally turned around and went inside.

"Something's been bugging me since yesterday," Erza thought to herself while narrowing her eyes.

"How did Romeo, a boy who punched a man's face in only hours before, didn't even faze Gajeel with two direct kicks to his face? Something's not adding up," She pondered.

"It seems I have to keep a closer eye on Romeo from now on, for Wendy's sake and the guild's sake," Erza thought to herself, before slicing her sword through a tree behind her with a single stroke. She started to walk back toward the guild hall. After the door closed, the tree's upper half slid off, along with the ten other trees behind it.

Inside the Guild Hall

As Romeo walked into the guild hall once again, he noticed Lindsay off to the side with a frown on her face as she looked over at Wendy who's own red face was just now starting to fade.

"Wonder what she's unhappy about?" Romeo thought.

"The guild hall has windows," Acnologia pointed out.

"What?"

"Nothing, I'll let you figure this out on your own this time," Acnologia said.

Before Romeo could question what Acnologia was talking about, Master Makarov, Gildarts, and his dad came walking up to him.

"Romeo, we have reached a compromise with your father in regards to your training," Master Makarov said.

"If you are able to complete my training, not only will your father unground you, but your 'mission ban' will be lifted as well," Gildarts said.

"And if I don't?" Romeo asked.

"You'll be banned from missions for at least a year, you'll still be grounded, and the repairs for the guild hall from the damage caused by your fight with Gajeel will come out of your pocket, most likely from the extra money Count Balsamico gave you," Macao said. "The door was an easy fix with Laki's magic, but your money will pay for a tougher door, and the rest of the damage."

"Oh geez, such a fair deal I'm getting here," Romeo said in a sarcastic tone.

"Don't be a smart ass; now go home, get packed and meet me here at sunrise tomorrow," Gildarts said.

"Get packed? Where is my training taking place?" Romeo asked.

"You'll find out soon enough," Gildarts answered before walking off to try to give Cana a hug.

Romeo just stood there, wondering when the hell his life went to shit. As he started his trek toward his house, he was so focused on his thoughts he didn't notice Wendy and Lindsay looking at him with worried looks on their faces. But unbeknownst to all three of them, one more person was watching the trio.

Sitting at a table near the tavern, after just finishing wiping off the lipstick marks left by the eldest Strauss sibling, was Fairy Tail's own local rune master and leader of the Thunder God Tribe, Freed Justine. Now Freed would be considered as one of the more logical and calm members of Fairy Tail, and while he was known to have bouts of anger from time to time, he still analyzed things that others would miss.

"Pardon me, Max," he said to the sand mage who at that moment was nearby having a conversation with Laki, which seemed to be quite intimate if her heavy blush was anything to go by.

"Huh? What do you want Freed?" Max asked, clearly annoyed that Freed interrupted his time with Laki.

"Just a few questions."

"About what?" he asked.

"Who notified the guild of what happened at Tenrou Island seven years ago?" Freed asked.

"The Magic Council's Rune Knights did."

"Were you here when they notified Fairy Tail?" Freed asked.

"Yes."

"What exactly did they tell you? In details, please."

"That Tenrou Island was wiped out by Acnologia," Max answered.

"Nothing else?"

"They said that they were too far away to see anything other than Acnologia landing and Acnologia taking off some time later to wipe out Tenrou. They said they did remember hearing sounds of battle, but that's about it."

"Freed, what's going on? Something on your mind?" Mira, who just returned from fixing herself up, asked.

"Oh nothing; just curious," he answered, even though he was kind of lying. As he continued to sip his tea, a thought ran through his head about yesterday.

"If no one other than the S-Class participants witnessed the battle with Acnologia, then how did Romeo know about Laxus-sama, Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy's attacks not having any effect on Acnologia?"

Author's notes: The suspense is building. No fight scene this time. Elfman being MANLY and shipping is everywhere. I believe Erza would act this way if she didn't get her way for something like this. Will continue to write this story for a while, BUT I haven't forgotten about GPE and Chaos Wheel. Also the votes are in, Romeo, Wendy, and Lindsay will be forming a Team together and do a mission before the Grand Magic Games. Please suggest a Team name or Mission thru PM or reviews, or I'll just go with what I have in mind.