A/N: I'm beginning to see why other writers always have trouble writing during exams...it's tiring. Luckily, this month's exams are over and I can get back to writing. (stupid exams...being a HighSchool Junior sucks...)

On with the story! ~

~Senji POV~

"Natsu, are you sure you want me as your partner?" I asked with a sigh, "I thought you'd take Happy."

"I was going to, but he's staying behind with Carla." Natsu said, staring at the boat we were to board with so much disgust and hate that I felt bad for the poor thing. But it couldn't be helped, Igneel never taught Natsu how to overcome the sickness. I sighed heavily, this was going to be a long boat ride.

"Ah." I recalled that teary apology the little blue cat gave when he told Natsu that he couldn't come along. "Well, there's nothing we can do about that now."

"Listen up brats! It's time to board!" I sighed as Natsu groaned. I put a comforting arm around his shoulders with a small laugh, "Be sure to sit with you partner once on board!"

"Come on," Gray's voice said from beside us, a soft teasing behind his tone. I watched as Natsu shot the mage a glare before sighing and letting him pull him onto the ship. Although Natsu grumbled the entire way. I chuckled at his antics.

"Well, this is certainly a shock for me." I turned at the new voice. It was someone I hadn't met before. "I knew they liked one another but I never thought they'd get past their stubbornness and actually confess."

"They more than like one another." I sighed, holding a hand out to the orange haired mage beside me, "I'm Senji, Natsu's brother. I don't believe that we've met."

"Loke, it's a pleasure." The mage held out a hand which I gladly accepted. "I didn't know Natsu had a brother until Lucy told me. I didn't believe it then but I can totally see the resemblance."

"I'd be worried if you didn't." I chucked, "We are identical after all."

"I see." Loke grinned, "But don't think I'll go easy on you because we just met."

"I didn't expect that you would." I smirked, making sure to shake the male's hand with good force, enough for him to try and pull his hand away lest it be crushed. "As long as you realize that I won't either."

"Quite the grip you've got there." Loke cringed, shaking his hand out as soon as I released it.

"Thank you, I'm proud of it." I waved him off as I went to follow Natsu and Gray onto the ship. The two said males standing at the edge of the dock, Gray trying to coax Natsu on board. It was like watching someone trying to quiet a crying child. I chuckled a bit before walking up to them. "Come on, you only have to deal with it for a few hours."

"A few long hours of sickness and vomit." The pinkette complained, taking one look at the ship and turning a sick shade of green. Gray sighed, moving to talk with Loke giving me a 'help him' look. I grinned mischievously, lighting a white seal in my hand before punching my sibling in the stomach.

Makarov who'd been nearby when I did so shook his head, "That won't knock him out my boy, you do know this right?"

"It's not my intent to knock him out." I pulled the groaning Natsu aboard and shoved him into a seat, watching his reactions. Slowly his face regained natural color and he began to stretch out carefully. "It's a spell to cancel out motion sickness. It's effects never wear out, regardless of how many times it is cast but can only be used once a day."

"Oh? Is this one of those spells you learned in Bosco?" Gray asked, watching Natsu start to move around.

"I can teach you, since I might not always be on a job with him." I grinned, "It's a good one to know."

"That would be best." Natsu sighed, standing and walking over, "I can't even feel the nausea anymore. This is better that Wendy's Troia." He laughed, "This is cool."

I watched him pull Gray to a more open part of the deck, sparring with the male with a smile. I was honestly surprised with myself. This was the first time I as able to test that spell but it worked. I couldn't help but to feel a tinge of anxiety since the after effect is a migraine that can keep someone in bed all day (but what he doesn't know won't hurt him).

"Hey Senji." I glanced over to see Lucy boarding with Cana who sat beside me, rubbing her breasts on my arm.

"Cana, please stop that."

"Why? You like women don't you?" She purred.

"Yes I do but I don't like women who try to force themselves on someone." I replied with a yawn. Standing, I greeted Lucy. "So, you paired up with Cana?"

"Yep! Do you see any other pairs?" She asked, "Apparently Evergreen and Elfman are teamed."

"So are Levy and Gajeel." I nodded, "And I saw Juvia walking with Lisanna a few minutes ago too."

"Yeah, I also saw Freed and Bixlow." Lucy grinned. "Figures that the Thunder Legion would stick together."

"Mostly." I saw her direct her gaze to Natsu and Gray. I laughed as I saw them on the ground, speaking in hushed voices. I didn't need to hear the words to know what they were talking about, Natsu's blush said everything. I grinned, knowing I'd embarrass the hell out of my brother for this.

"NO SEX ON THE DECK!" I shouted, watching the two turn my way and shout in denial. Natsu's face turning redder than his hair by the time Gray let him up. Oh yeah, he's soo gonna get back at me for that. The few members that had hear the shout laughed lightly.

It has been a couple weeks since we had returned home and their relationship revealed. Honestly, they were made for one another. If their occasional make-out sessions in the guild were anything to go by; I'd say that they've become some what comfortable with being close in public. But I never passed up an opportunity to tease them about it. Especially when I know that Gray's flirting. Their reactions to me doing so, never ceased to amaze me.

"Natsu's going to be fuming at you, Senji." Lucy noted with an amused grin.

"Oh, I know. But I have something on him that he doesn't want to risk losing."

"And what might that be?"

I pointed at the pinkette, "Do you see any form of sickness on him?"

Lucy shook her head, "No, why? Didn't Wendy cast Troia on him?"

"Those on other teams are not allowed to help those outside of their partners." I answered, remembering what Gramps had said about the ride there. Natsu had been moody the whole way to the docks because of it. "I learned a spell in my studies that helps him."

She glanced between me and Natsu, a sly grin curling her lips, "You sneaky devil."

"All it takes is a little blackmail."

"I didn't think you had it in you." Cana laughed, latching onto my arm again. This time when I went to shake her off, she remained in place, her grip being tighter than before.

"Get off me Cana." I sighed.

Lucy giggled, "If I didn't know better, I'd think you two were a couple."

I frowned at her, "Don't be putting idea's in her head. We don't need another Juvia."

"It might be a little late for that!" I heard Natsu shout as he dodged a shot from Gray. They had begun sparring again and I glanced over with a growl.

"Eavesdropper!" I growled.

"Smartass!" He shot back.

"It's a very cute ass."

"CANA!" Lucy, Natsu, Gray, and I shouted in shock and warning. The drunkess just shrugged and I raised the temperature in my arm high enough for her to let go with a curse. I made my escape then, quickly walking over to my brother and his mate.

"Nice to know you've got my back bro." I sighed as I easily slipped into their match.

"Be glad it's Cana and not Juvia."

"I think I'd prefer Juvia." I earned shocked looked from the both of them. "At least she doesn't smell like a bar or a prostitute."

"And you know what a prostitute smells like?" Natsu asked, turning me to face him by my shoulders/

"I had a friend who made her living that way in Bosco." I shrugged. "I haven't talked to her for a year though. I wonder if she has found a better job yet."

Natsu let out a huge sigh. "You never cease to make me wonder how you've managed to stay sane."

"I wonder how I stay sane too. Especially when trying to sleep with you two in the same house." I winked.

"Considering that we don't do whatever you're implying, I'd say that it isn't our fault." Gray snorted.

"Yeah well-"

"Senji!"

I turned to see Juvia walking towards us at her own pace without trying to glomp Gray or drown Natsu. Despite her stalker tendencies; she really is a sweet girl, especially since she realized she had no chance with Gray. The girl's also seemed to calm down, letting others see her in a different light. There have been a lot less floods as well. All in all, things were looking up for Juvia. I was happy for her.

"Hey Juvia." I greeted with a smile. I was glad I was able to make friends with her. It was also through her I learned a few water spells I added to my collection as well as showing her a few I knew that she didn't. Those training sessions were...interesting. But I was able to see the depth of her love for Gray and watch her go from psycho to sweet. A transformation I was more than happy to have watched.

"Hi Senji." She smiled with a small tilt of her head.

"Ooh, no honorifics." Natsu teased.

"Hello, Natsu-san and Gray-sama." She greeted the two and turned back to me. "Good luck today, Juvia won't hold back!"

"I sure hope you don't. It wouldn't be fair otherwise." I put up a fist, letting her bump it with her own as she wandered of the Lucy and Cana who seemed to be in their own little world. I almost regretted turning back to see the expressions the two idiots wore.

"Soo...you and Juvia?" Gray spoke first, a little shiver in his speech, "I would have never thought it."

"They have been training together for the past week and a half." Natsu put me in a head lock. "When's the wedding lover boy?"

I chuckled, "Slow down, I'm not even dating her yet!"

"'Yet' he says!" Natsu said through laughter. "Start sending the invitations now!"

"She's just a friend." I gasped as I finally got loose, no thanks to Gray who was currently stripping out of his shirt. "Gray, put your clothes back on."

"Damnit!" He sighed, pulling his shirt back down.

"I still wouldn't be against you two going out you know." Natsu grinned.

"That's good and all but I'm not interested in her that way and she's not either." I caught Juvia's glance, giving her a smile before returning back to my conversation. "She has a different love interest."

"Who?" Natsu asked, "Someone from FairyTail?"

"No, they're from Lamia Scale." I turned to Gray, "You know him quite well, Gray."

The ice mage took a moment before his eyes widened in shock, "Lyon?" I nodded and he grinned, "He'd had Juvia in his sights for a few years now."

"Juvia mentioned something about trying a relationship with him." I shrugged, feeling a clench in my chest, almost as if I was getting motion sickness. But I couldn't have had it. I rubbed the lingering ache absentmindedly, hoping it wouldn't get any worse. "I hope it goes well."

~Gray POV~

I watched the boy in front of me with a frown. Even if my surrogate brother was finally getting a chance with the girl of his dreams, I couldn't help but wonder. Senji has said that he wasn't interested in Juvia and yet he seems down that she's moving forward. By the way Natsu's teasing him, I assumed he didn't notice his brother's mood drop. I couldn't blame him though, the pinkette is pretty dense. I opened my mouth to speak but not before getting cut off as Makarov spoke over the group.

"EVERYONE ON BOARD. WE LEAVE IN FIVE MINUTES!"

"Yahoo! I'm fired up now!" Natsu cheered.

"Well, well. Looks like the little miss is participating as well." Senji grinned, looking towards the docks.

Wendy was boarding, standing a little behind Mest as she did. As soon as she was boarded she caught sight of our little group and skipped over, "Natsu-san!"

"Hey Wendy." He greeted.

"Are you partnered with Mest?" Senji asked, motioning to said man who seemed content just leaning against the side of the ship.

"Yes. You guys better watch it!" She grinned, "We're going to win this!"

"Be sure and give it your best squirt." Gildarts said in passing as he stepped over to his daughter.

"I will!" Wendy followed him over and started chatting with Juvia and Lucy.

"Hmm, we're missing a pair..." Natsu frowned, looking to the docks, "Oh! There they are."

Elfman and Evergreen were walking down to the docks, picking up their pace when they noticed how everyone else had boarded. "Being late is not man..." Elfman grumbled as they boarded.

"Alright, since everyone is finally present; let's set sail for Tenrou Island!" Cheers erupted from both the guild members on board and those seeing us off on the docks. I joined in, not even bothering to control the volume of my shouts. Little by little, I could barely even see the shore anymore. Within another few hours, we were in open water, no land to be seen on any side.

"Gah! It's so hot!" Lucy whined. We had been at sea for several hours now, the weather changing sharply since we were at shore from winter to summer. I had shed my shirt and jeans a while ago as soon as I felt the increase in temperature.

"Aren't you hot in that Juvia?" I hear Lisanna ask the water mage, who was still in her winter outfit. I was sweating just looking at her. This heat is awful.

"No, not really." She replied sheepishly.

I glanced to my left at the brothers who had managed to fall asleep and hadn't even broken a sweat. Oh, how I envied them. I watched them with a slight smile. Natsu had fallen asleep sitting against the side of the ship, his head on Senji's shoulder with the other boy resting his head on the pinkette's. Their expressions lax with sleep with a little drool slipping out the corner of Natsu's mouth. It was funny, just two months ago, I would have said that Natsu drooling was gross, but now...it struck me as...cute.

Loke, who I had been chatting with caught my gaze, tracing it to the sleeping boys before chuckling, "They are really peaceful while sleeping."

"No kidding." I sighed, turning away from the pair reluctantly, glancing instead off to the ocean. "Oh! I can see it." I turned back and formed two extra cold ice cubes, slipping one down Natsu and Senji's shirts, watching with amusement as they jolted awake trying to get the cubes out of their shirts.

"The hell Gray!" Natsu growled. The effect of his glare lessened as he rubbed one eye with a yawn.

"We're here." I grinned, feeling my excitement build up, "Get ready for the competition of your life!"

"Whoa! That tree is huge!" Natsu cheered, leaning over the rail slightly. Senji mirrored his actions, mixtures of surprise and excitement passing over his features. Natsu's shout got the attention of all the others as well gathering cheers of excitement and confident shouts as the island crept closer.

"It's said that fairies used to live on this island and that the first master, Mavis Vermilion sleeps here." Makarov spoke up, catching the attention of the examinees. "I will now announce the details of the first exam."

"The first exam?" Wendy asked.

"The S-Class trials is split into separate exams for different skills." Mest explained.

"Do you all see that smoke on shore. There are eight paths, but only one team can enter." Makarov continued. "After a pair has entered the path will seal and no one else can follow. Only the teams that pass through will pass the first exam."

"Ah hell..." I grumbled. I was hoping that I at least didn't get the path with Erza waiting...hell I didn't even want to fight Mira or Gildarts. But knowing my luck I won't get the quiet path either. Now I'm pretty confident I can win against another team, so I could only hope I got one of those four paths.

"The goals of this first exam are "power" and "luck!" Makarov grinned, "So let's begin...EXAM START!"

"EH?!"