Music! Inrigue! Romance! Take your pick…Just think about one question for me: are brand names on fanfiction actually all that matters when it comes to scoring high numbers of reviews?

Chapter 11

"One…one hundred million!" Natsu's brain looked like it was practically going to fry itself. He started to hold up his fingers as if he was going to count up to the number mentioned. "That's like a hundred times…times…"

"A million?" Romeo asked dryly. Natsu looked to the younger boy in shock. Wendy laughed at the expression on his face.

"That's a pretty hefty sum, dad," Lucy said concernedly. "Why so much? And, for that matter, why the stipulations?" Jude cleared his throat and indicated that they should keep walking while he answered her question. Wendy could see her parents and their cars approaching.

"The board doesn't want to bet on an unsure thing," he explained. "While Magnolia High has always been the best, they want to make sure they're sponsoring something worth sponsoring. Especially with the program's recent tussle with Orlando, they want to be assured of its viability and existence."

"Isn't one hundred million a lot, though, Mr. Heartfilia?" Wendy asked. "I mean, wouldn't that hurt your company?"

"Not really," Jude admitted. "Our railroad expansion has gone international and we plan to unveil our subway project next month. On top of this, we recently bought out Junelle Industries. Heartfilia Railways is in more than a prime position to put up this kind of money."

"Oh…" Wendy uttered, a little unsure of what to make of that statement. Jude just smiled warmly at her as they finally reached the other group of parents.

"You were wonderful today," Grandine said, catching both Wendy and Natsu into a bone-crushing hug. They both smiled as best as they could but were relieved when their mother let go of them. "We'll all be cheering for your guild on the last day."

"Romeo! Over here, Romeo!"

"Dad?" Wendy turned her head along with everyone else to watch the man approaching them at a brisk pace. "What are you doing here? When did you get here?"

"Just this morning. I had to leave the bar in Wakaba's care and he wasn't really willing until today," the man, clearly Romeo's father, said.

"Wakaba, huh? That's just an accident waiting to happen."

"Hey, Macao, it's been a while!" Natsu said. To Wendy's surprise, he flung his arm around the older man in a friendly gesture.

"Yeah, it has been, Natsu," Macao said as he brusquely removed Natsu's arm from his shoulder. "You haven't been by the bar recently. Same with you, Lucy."

"I'm pretty sure Cana drinks enough for all of us," Lucy admitted with a wave of greeting.

"That's true," Macao agreed with a laugh. By this point, the other parents had begun talking amongst themselves, leaving Wendy alone and unattached. Romeo's father seemed to catch sight of this. "Who's this little lady? Don't tell me she's your sister, Natsu? She looks far too sweet to be related to you."

"Dad, this is Wendy, and yes, she is Natsu's sister," Romeo introduced her after coming to stand right next to her. "Wendy, this is my dad, Macao Conbolt."

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Conbolt," Wendy said respectfully with a slight bow. Macao gave a good-natured laugh.

"Just call me Macao. Everyone else does," he said with a smile. "So, you're Natsu's sister…the one we've all heard about?"

"Natsu, just how many people do you mention me to?" Wendy asked. Natsu didn't answer and instead rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Well, you must be someone special to be able to put up with this son of mine."

"Real great for my self esteem, dad," Romeo whined as he folded his arms across his chest.

"I'm only joking, Romeo," Macao said with a thump to his son's back. Suddenly, his phone started ringing and he brought it out with a scowl. "What do you mean 'all the beer is gone'? Did you drink it or something? Well, go and restock it, then! No, I don't care if your daughter is planning to screw Thibault!"

"Did Wakaba already screw something up?" Romeo chuckled out.

"Ugh, I gotta deal with this," Macao said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "It was good meeting you, Wendy. Maybe I'll see you in the bar some time. Later, Romeo."

"Bye, dad!" Romeo called once his dad had already walked away. He then turned to Wendy with a grin. "Don't let him pressure you into going to the bar."

"Hey, she's not stepping foot into one or drinking a drop of alcohol until she's legal age!" Natsu said angrily. Romeo backed away from him. Wendy, meanwhile, slid her eyes over to Lucy and the two fought to restrain giggles.

"Natsu, you do realize that I turn fifteen in September, right?" Wendy asked.

"Don't remind me," he grumbled off. "Anyway, what are your plans for tomorrow?"

"I thought we'd go on a date in the city," Lucy said. "Needless to say that we haven't started our relationship in the most conventional of ways."

"Sorry, Lucy, but I already made plans to hang with Romeo, here. Says he has something he wants to talk to me about." Lucy pouted for a second but then let this issue go with a shrug.

"All right…how about you and me hang out tomorrow, Wendy?"

"Sounds fun!" Wendy agreed. Inside, she was very happy. At least now she wouldn't have to find something to do tomorrow. "But we probably shouldn't keep our parents waiting anymore."

"Ha ha, agreed." Wendy and Lucy then led the group over to their parents.

Much like the day before, Wendy spent her time amongst her family and friends, even if a lot of strangeness was packaged with it. Sometimes, she felt like herself and Lucy were the only sane ones of the bunch, but then Lucy would suddenly say the weirdest things that once almost made Wendy spit her drink out. They hadn't been the only ones out and about on the town. They had run into the entire Strauss family, who were out shopping, and even Laxus, who was despondently trailing after his grandfather. The number of seats at their table also got bigger when the combined Fullbuster-Milkovitch family joined. Ultear and Meredy (who was with them) got into a lively conversation with the girls while Gray argued with Natsu, Romeo tried to stop them, and Lyon sat there in a state of dejection. It was only after Igneel and Silver Fullbuster had nearly passed out from a drinking competition that they decided to pack it up and return to camp.

As Wendy settled into her bed that night, listening to Meredy talk about the most random things above her, she smiled widely. Even with all of the horrible things that Minerva had done, the last two weeks had been some of the best of her life. She didn't want to see it end quite yet, but as she finally fell asleep, she was all too glad that she had experienced it.

Wendy woke up moderately late the next morning. She wasn't the only one. While some people like Levy and Ultear were already gone, others (here meaning Meredy) were actually still asleep with her arm hanging over the edge of the bed. Juvia had practically commandeered the bathroom for her date with Gray while Erza was shuffling nervously. Wendy found out why as she and Lucy made to leave for the day.

"Oh…Wendy," Jellal said, looking like a deer in headlights. "Is…is Erza here?"

"Um, yeah, I'm pretty sure she's-"

"Yes, your girlfriend is busy wearing a hole in the floor," Lucy said. Wendy moved out of the way to allow Jellal to enter the cabin. Both he and Erza froze when they saw one another.

"Oh….J-Jellal. You-you're early." Wendy raised her eyebrow in amusement. From what she understood, they had been dating for quite some time, yet were still acting like they barely spoke to each other.

"Okay, you two have fun at the awkward party. Let's go, Wendy," Lucy said, and she dragged the bluenette out of the cabin.

Wendy quickly learned that the only way to get into the city of Crocus without a car was to take the bus from outside the pizza parlor. It came as a surprise to Wendy to find Chelia there with Lyon, although the pinkette actually seemed to be in a bad mood, so she made sure to avoid her. Also on the bus were Cana and Bacchus (both of whom were already drinking) as well as Laxus and Mira, with the former looking incredibly groggy once the bus started moving. Wendy giggled over this fact since it appeared he had the same kind of motion sickness as Natsu when he forgot to wear his patch.

"What do we want to do today?" Wendy asked Lucy. The blonde turned to him with a smile.

"I thought we'd hang out at the Crocus Amusement Park for a bit and then go shopping. My dad gave me a bunch of money so we can pretty much do whatever," Lucy told her. Wendy positively lit up. She absolutely loved amusement parks!

"Oh, can we go on the Snowballs? !" Wendy asked excitedly. Lucy laughed.

"Sometimes, you can be such a little kid with these things, Wendy," she teased. "Then again, so can your brother, so it's no surprise."

The duo soon arrived in the city and Wendy made it her mission to be one of the first off the bus, dragging Lucy with her all the way. She only realized after she stepped off that she didn't know where they were going. Thankfully, Lucy did and she gestured to the giant rollercoaster in the background. Wendy happily liked her arm with Lucy's and the two ran towards the amusement park. It was bustling with long lines by the time they got there and the girls were forced to wait almost ten minutes before they got in. During their wait, they plotted the most efficient course for maximum enjoyment.

Their course was surprisingly sidelined by an unexpected sight.

"Sting? And Rogue? !" Lucy exclaimed, stopping dead in her tracks. The two Saber Tooth musicians looked up from the bench they were bent over. "You two look like hell."

"We rode…the Deliora Scream Coaster…" Sting wheezed out. "Big mistake…"

"I thought Minerva would have roped you two into practice today or something," Lucy said with a fold of her arms and pursed lips. Both of the boys seemed to recover from their sickness at this and looked at Lucy with somber eyes.

"She tried to," Rogue said, tucking some of his hair away.

"We boycotted," Sting admitted. "Well, us, Rufus, Orga and Yukino did, at least. Minerva couldn't really do much with the five of us gone."

"What? You guys don't want to win anymore?" Lucy asked in disbelief. Sting sighed in response.

"Honestly, I don't know anymore. With our loss the other day, I doubt we'd get in the program even if Minerva did get her way."

"She and her father weren't very happy with us," Rogue stated.

"We saw," Wendy said, deciding to inject herself into the conversation. Sting and Rogue appeared to finally take notice of her. Their eyes widened a moment before their heads dipped back down in shame.

"Hey, Wendy," Sting began nervously, scratching the back of his neck, "I'm sorry."

"Uh, what for?"

"I said some really nasty things about you that were clearly untrue," he confessed.

"Yeah, we were really out of line," Rogue said. "I hope you can forgive us."

"Of course," Wendy said. The boys breathed in genuine relief and Wendy smiled at them. Even though they had been so smug before, their heartfelt apology changed Wendy's entire opinion on them. They really weren't as bad as she thought.

"You did pretty good on that first day," Sting said cheerfully. "Dorbengal was fuming about it for hours!"

"Hey, no ass-kissing!" Lucy warned, causing Sting to laugh.

"Sorry," he apologized. "Hey, if you'd like, the four of us can spend the day together. We wouldn't mind the company."

"I think the lady has other plans," said someone from behind them. Both Lucy and Wendy turned to look at the newcomer. Lucy's face lit up in joy.

"Loke!" she squealed and she threw her arms around the man. When she pulled back, Wendy got a better look at him. Loke was tall, but not in an imposing way. He had bright orange locks and wore a pair of tinted sunglasses that were currently halfway down his nose. He also had a tiny smirk on his face that Wendy wasn't sure ever left it.

"Hey there, beautiful," Loke commented before holding Lucy at arm's length. "You look different. There's a rosy glow about you that there wasn't before."

"Ha ha, you think so?" Lucy giggled out. "If I do, then you do, too. Is Aries with you?"

"She's buying some cotton candy. You know how she loves the stuff."

"You like it, too, Leo. Don't lie," said a more timid voice. Wendy turned her head and noticed a pink-haired girl standing next to Loke with two tufts of cotton candy in her hand. She supposed that this girl was Aries, and "Leo" was simply Loke's nickname.

"Only because you like it," Loke replied smoothly, taking his share of the cotton candy. Lucy cooed at Loke's words.

"Uh…we're just gonna go," Sting said in his attempt to leave the area. "Rogue, let's ride the Tower of Heaven!"

"Are you kidding me, Sting? I am not barfing all over the place for the rest of the day."

"You guys get motion sick?" Wendy asked. The two nodded dumbly and Wendy went into her purse. "Here, they're Troia Patches. I keep them on hand for Natsu."

"Seriously? You're awesome, Wendy!" Sting yelled gleefully. He hastily took the patch and affixed it to his neck. "Woo hoo! Tower of Heaven, here we come!"

"Sting!" Rogue yelled after the manic blond. He sighed deeply. "I swear, someday he's gonna make me want to kill him. Well, see you later." With that, the two Saber Tooth musicians were gone.

"So, this is Natsu's sister, huh?" Loke asked, bringing the attention back to him. Wendy rolled her eyes. What was with everybody asking this question lately?

"Has he gone around talking about me to everyone?" she asked Lucy in exasperation.

"Pretty much," Lucy laughed out. Suddenly, Loke snapped his fingers.

"Natsu…the two of you are dating now!" Lucy smiled coyly but didn't say anything as Loke congratulated himself. Aries, meanwhile, squealed wildly (drawing some attention) before even more people joined the conversation that was already going. Wendy started to wonder when they'd ride the Snowballs…if ever.

"Really, he finally spat it out?"

"Took him long enough," said a black-haired male. He had short-cropped hair and had an arm slung around a green-haired, exotic looking woman. Lucy snorted once she looked at them.

"Like you're one to talk, Alzack. You pined after Bisca for five years before you said anything. Now, what are all of you doing here?" Lucy said, giving a hug to the green-haired woman that Wendy supposed was Bisca.

"What? We can't come out to support our old guild?" Bisca asked. "Seems like you guys are neck and neck with Saber Tooth from what we've heard."

"Rivalry's still going strong then?" Alzack asked.

"If only you knew…" Lucy said with a slight waver to her voice. Wendy noted that she hadn't mentioned the actual conditions of the rivalry. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Wendy. This is Loke and Aries, who are planning to be college freshmen at Celeste University in the fall, and Alzack and Bisca, who are sophomores at Magnolia University. All of them are old members of Fairy Tail and apparently Bisca's engaged. When did this happen?"

"Last month!" Bisca exclaimed. "Of course, I had to do the asking."

"I was planning on it…" Alzack mumbled out. "I just never got around to it before she did."

"Same old Alzack," Lucy said with a shake of her head. "So, you guys will be watching us tomorrow?"

"We'll be rooting for you!" Bisca said, pumping her left fist. Wendy could see the diamond studded ring on her finger.

"Give Natsu our regards," Loke said. He pushed his sunglasses up while he peered at Wendy. "It was great meeting you, Wendy."

"Yeah," Wendy mumbled out, still feeling slightly awkward about the whole encounter.

"Let's go ride the Nirvana Coaster, Leo," Aries said before pulling her boyfriend away. Loke gave Lucy a wave as he was dragged off.

"We should probably head off, too. Bisca's parents got us tickets for Ryuzetsu Land," Alzack said.

"Give our greetings to Gray and Juvia while you're there," Lucy snickered out. Bisca raised an eyebrow but said nothing as she hugged Lucy again and then couple took off. "So…Snowballs?"

"Yes!" Wendy said ecstatically. The two of them set off in the direction of that ride. Wendy's mind turned towards the people she had just met as they made their way. It seemed like almost everyone in Fairy Tail was in some sort of relationship or another. No doubt it was a result of having Mirajane in the guild, but it still made Wendy feel somewhat lonely. Her own bother and the girl she considered her sister were together; then there was Gray and Juvia, Jellal and Erza, and even Gajeel and Levy. For a brief moment, she almost wondered if she'd be able to find that kind of romantic happiness. But with who? Romeo?

The thought made her flush as she stepped into the Snowballs. No, she couldn't think like that. Her musical career and education were too important to her. There was no time to even consider a love life. She slapped herself to help being those thoughts back to the surface and resolved to enjoy herself.

All things considered, the Crocus Amusement Park was one of the most fun places she'd ever been to. Even Lucy concurred. Since, thankfully, Wendy hadn't shown any signs of motion sickness like the rest of her family, both she and Lucy were able to ride almost every ride in the park, screaming wildly the whole time. They had only taken a small break for lunch, during which they met Gajeel (who was bent over a trash can) and Levy. After exchanging words, the two pairs parted ways. In fact, by the time they had departed the amusement park for the shopping district, they had seen numerous members of their guild, including a lurking Elfman and Evergreen.

"I swear, those two are hilarious…" Lucy said, holding her stomach while she laughed. "Though I do feel kind of bad for Elfman. I think he must have a masochistic streak."

"He'd probably just say that 'being masochistic is manly'," Wendy said, trying to make her voice go deep like Elfman's but failing.

"That's true…Speaking of men, by the way," Lucy said with a curious glance, "what is the deal with you and Romeo?"

"Why does everyone assume I like Romeo? !"

"Probably because you went to the Dance Festival together," Lucy told her honestly.

"As friends," she attempted to stress, but the denial seemed just a little too forced.

"We've just been noticing that you spend a lot of time with him lately."

"He's fun to be around," Wendy admitted defensively. "That doesn't mean I have to like him like that!"

"Do you, though? Like him, I mean."

"I…" Wendy paused. What exactly were her feelings towards Romeo? Still, she wasn't about to betray her confusion to Lucy. "I don't dislike him."

"So, you're not going to commit either way?" Lucy sighed deeply for a moment. "Look, the only reason I'm saying all this is because I'm pretty sure that Romeo likes you, and not in the way that you like bunnies, or Carla, or Chelia."

"He…he does?"

"You doubt it?" Lucy asked in utter disbelief. "Have you even seen the way he looks at you?"

Wendy looked down at her feet and began to twiddle her fingers. "I don't really pay attention to that kind of stuff."

"Maybe you should," Lucy told her softly. The girls stopped walking for a moment and Wendy joined Lucy in sitting on a nearby bench. "I know that at your age, you might not think relationships are worth it. I thought so, too…but the music will always be there. People won't."

"Are you saying I should give up on my musical career for a relationship that could end in a few weeks?"

"No, I'm not saying that. I'm saying that…how do I put this? People can be there without music, but music always needs people. Those people can change, though, and you may just end up left with regret over not acting sooner."

"But I don't like Romeo that way!" She was protesting to deaf ears now. Heck, she was even starting to feel like her own ears were deaf to the statement.

"I know you think you don't, but I'm pretty confident that he does. I don't know if he'll act on it, but I think you should know. He's a good guy."

"I know he's a good guy, but…" Wendy couldn't make sense of it anymore. She cast her eyes downward in lost confusion. What was she supposed to think now? Lucy appeared to take pity on her, because she took her arm and stood.

"Come on, let's get some ice cream," Lucy said kindly. Wendy nodded half-heartedly and followed after her.

After that, she just felt like she was going through the motions of shopping. Wendy could hardly even remember their shopping trip, only that she walked away with a few hair ribbons. Everyone was telling her about Romeo, and while Wendy could agree that he was probably boyfriend material, she simply couldn't shake the dream of her musical career. Love and relationships were always second to that. It didn't matter if the boy was cute and kind, and heart-racing, and currently calling her name wearing nothing but a pair of swim trunks and a towel over his shoulder.

"You okay, Wendy? You look dazed…and flushed." Romeo's voice jerked Wendy out of whatever thought process she was in and she stumbled backward in mortification.

"I'm fine! Totally fine! You are how? I mean, how are you?" She couldn't believe she was rambling. Was that the effect that Lucy's words were having on her, and was Romeo always so handsome? No, stop it!

"I'm good…" he said tentatively. "Just got back from the pool with Natsu. How about you?"

"Sh-shopping, I think?"

"You think?" Romeo said amusedly. Wendy felt the sudden urge to slap herself in the face. She didn't, though, and chose to focus on the only moving thing in the vicinity, which just so happened to be Romeo. Wow, his chest is really toned…and kind of distracting… "Are you sure you're okay? Your face is really red."

"I'm totally fine. I'm sorry…I just have to um…uh…" She quickly cast around for something, some sort of idea to get her out of this. Like how she really wouldn't mind if Romeo never put on a shirt again. NO! Shut up, brain! "I just have to use the bathroom. Bye!"

She barely heard Romeo's farewell as she dashed towards her cabin. To her great relief, no one was inside when she entered. Clearly Lucy had gotten distracted by Natsu. Almost immediately, Wendy sunk down to the floor with her back against the door. Why was she getting so worked up over this? It was like all her pent up denial was breaking down and Wendy wasn't even sure what she was supposed to feel anymore. Like a robot, Wendy stood and dumped her stuff on her bed. She then flopped upon it and resisted the urge to groan, which didn't help when images of a shirtless Romeo were cemented in her head.

Realizing it was futile, she flipped over and buried her face in her pillow.

Stupid Romeo Conbolt.

"All right, this is it," Laxus said to the silent guild hall.

It was finally the last day of the Grand Music Games and the entire guild was packed tight, ready for Laxus' final orders as guild leader to come down. Wendy shuffled nervously, or maybe it was anticipation. She wasn't sure, but she knew that today was very likely the most important day of her life thus far. Everything she had hopes for rode on their performance this day. Fairy Tail had to win.

"You guys know the score," Laxus said. He was pacing back and forth in front of the guild mates, his eyes sliding smoothly along them. "We have to beat Saber Tooth. I don't care if it's fifth or first; all that matters is that we beat them, or there won't be a program to continue in. So, let's do our best out there. Who are we?"

"We're Fairy Tail!" the guild cried, Wendy adding her own voice to the mix. Laxus' words had inspired her and she was ready to help bring home a Fairy Tail victory.

"You kids ready, then?" Gildarts called from the front of the hall. The guild simply put itself into marching order as a response. Wendy checked to make sure her guild colors were still on her before breathing deeply. Then Gildarts gave the order and they began to march. It was almost nerve-wracking, the closer the stadium came. She could hear the cheers of anticipation that reminded her that her family and even people who had probably once brought Fairy Tail to victory were waiting in that crowd to watch them. It gave her strength to realize how supported they were.

"Here we are," Chapati said. His voice was lower and more dramatic than it had been the last few days, setting the stage for the final day's events. "The final day has begun and we're seeing a neck and neck race for first place. Who will come out the winner? Fairy Tail or Saber Tooth? Only today's performances will tell. Today's competition is split into two parts: the first will have the guilds in a randomly selected order perform the marching show alone. They will only play one of the three pieces, also selected randomly."

"I'm sure Macky boy made it look impressive with just the individual guilds," Yajima commented. Chapati gave a short laugh.

"After the guilds perform, we will take a break until evening time when the Magnolia Marching Band will perform this year's show: Heavenly Ascent, featuring the three pieces Tenrou's Dream, Nirvana's March, and The Floating Lands. After that, the final scores will be given using the same ranking system as day four. Now, Mato, if you will choose the first guild to perform."

It took only a few seconds before the first guild was chosen. "First up will be Lamia Scale performing Nirvana's March, punkin."

Wendy gave a quick glance to Lamia Scale and noticed Chelia tucked in amongst their ranks before she was lost from sight, blocked by the shifting crowds. Wendy closed her eyes, hoping to block out any other performances. Like the first day, she couldn't focus on those things if she wanted to put her best foot forward…literally. As Lamia Scale played, she found herself fingering the notes on her clarinet, practicing them as best as she could. She hardly noticed when they had finished.

"Next is Fairy Tail playing Tenrou Dream, punkin!" Wendy breathed in. This was it. Natsu began the cadence that counted them off and she took her first step in accordance with it. The entire guild made their setup on the field as once more Natsu indicated to begin. Considering that Tenrou Dream was undoubtedly the hardest of their three songs (given that it was last), Wendy felt they performed it very well. It was amazing how smoothly they moved and Wendy remembered how Romeo had told her on the first day that it would all be instinct. It was. She didn't need to think…she just moved. When she took her final step and played her final note, she felt like she had done it. It didn't matter what guilds would come after. She had done the best she could.

The guilds that played after were all a haze in her mind. Blue Pegasus had played The Floating Lands next while Saber Tooth had played an uninspired version of Nirvana's Light. Quattro Cerberus played Tenrou Dream again and Mermaid Heel finished the set with The Floating Lands once more. It was already lunch by the time all the performances had finished and each guild went separately to the dining hall.

For once, Fairy Tail wasn't as rowdy as usual. Even Natsu, who was typically the center of attention, was quiet. He had silently sidled up to Wendy sometime during their walk and pulled her close to him. It was a kind gesture that showed he thought everything would be all right. Gajeel echoed the same sentiments with a grunt and a nod, Gray offered a smile and Lucy gave a small squeeze of her hand. Everyone was trying to be encouraging to one another and Wendy tossed a smile to every member in order to do her part.

They returned to the guild hall after lunch, where they spent equal time practicing the three pieces and playing various card games courtesy of Cana. As the clock read six forty-five, the guild stood once again to leave for the stadium silently. Somehow, that didn't feel right to her. Fairy Tail wasn't the type to leave quietly.

"Hey, everyone," Wendy called, hoping her guild mates would hear her. "I love Fairy Tail. So, let's show everyone else our love for our guild."

For a moment, Wendy thought they would all look at her like she was crazy. Then Laxus smirked, and like she did the day before, raised his hand in the Fairy Tail sign. The guild followed and Wendy did the same with a giant smile. She saw her family staring back at her in pride and then she saw Romeo. He was grinning just as widely and his eyes were filled with admiration. Wendy turned away with a blush. This wasn't the time for it.

Now was the time for victory.

Together with her guild, she marched out. They all met up with the other guilds outside the stadium to arrange themselves for their performance. Wendy found herself (as expected) next to Chelia who acknowledged her with a nod. Then the drum majors began counting off and Wendy and her best friend moved forward. Under the stadium lights, the stands seemed more packed than earlier and Wendy felt a small bead of sweat roll down her neck. At the front she could see the guild colors being twirled about by the color guard. Laxus, Erza, and Mira all stood before them and raised their hands.

"Now introducing the Magnolia High Marching Band's program, Heavenly Ascent."

Chapati finished his introduction and the drum majors began to conduct. In tandem with her fellow clarinets, Wendy began to play The Floating Lands. It was a light and airy song that wanted to put a skip into anyone's step, but the bluenette knew she had to remain committed. Her steps and the music led her to where she needed to go. If she remembered from her marching packet, the show for this part consisted of numerous, moving swirls that coalesced into an island shape before magically bursting apart. The band came to a halt momentarily after that had happened.

The next song was faster. Nirvana's March was exactly as its title described: a march. The band moved in 6/8 time, making sure to keep themselves perfunctory in every step they took. What made the piece so different from an actual march was the darker territory to which it descended. At moments, it would be your standard big band march before slowing to a near dirge all of a sudden. This was impacted by the marching which matched both time and tempo but also seemed to shift between a shining star and a moon to represent darkness.

It was the last song that proved the most fulfilling of all. Tenrou Dream was in every way a finale. The song began as a complement to the marching tune but was overall sweeter. Just when it seemed to be happy, the harsh tones of action set in and the band was sent into a frantic, yet orchestrated, scramble. The piece soon reached its zenith before swelling into a heartwarming song that boasted tears, happiness, friendship and all those redeeming qualities. The band remained frozen when the song finished.

As expected, the crowd erupted in cheers. In the lights, Wendy could see the judges turning around to discuss the performances. Obviously they had seen the entire thing from above. The band broke from its rigid form as all the guild mates tried to find one another. Wendy quickly caught up with Juvia and the others as Fairy Tail congregated together. Each of them was stoic, waiting for the results that could make or break them.

"Just beat Saber Tooth," she muttered under her breath. After an agonizingly long wait that consisted of her saying that repeatedly, the judges turned back to the guilds.

"In sixth place for today's performance," Chapati began, "is Blue Pegasus." The crowd two guilds over gave an audible groan. It was no surprise when everyone thought it would be Quattro Cerberus. "Fifth place is awarded to Quattro Cerberus and fourth goes to Mermaid Heel."

"Only the top three left…" Lucy uttered from nearby. All of Fairy Tail's breaths were collectively held.

"Receiving third place," Chapati announced and Wendy gripped her instrument tightly, "is Saber Tooth."

Life flooded back into her, into the entire guild really. It didn't matter what place they had gotten; they had won! The program was saved! But they saved their cheers until Fairy Tail was announced to receive first place. Wendy looked at the final scores.

1st: FAIRY TAIL 58 pts

2nd: Saber Tooth 56 pts

3rd: Lamia Scale 52 pts

4th: Mermaid Heel 31 pts

5th: Blue Pegasus 30 pts

6th: Quattro Cerberus 13 pts

"It's Fairy Tail! Fairy Tail is the winner!" Chapati cried.

"Yeeeeah!" Natsu screamed, his voice carrying over the field as everyone in the guild cheered loudly. They weren't the only ones. All of the guilds were choosing to join in on the cheering. Wendy felt herself hugging Juvia and Laki over their win, tears of joy pricking her eyes. They won!

"Calm down, you brats," Makarov said, but even his voice was cracking. "There are refreshments in the dining hall for you guys, so why don't you head on over."

The students were all too willing to oblige with Natsu, Lucy, and Fairy Tail leading the pack. Wendy threw one last glance back and caught sight of Minerva. She wasn't moving, but had tears streaming down her face and her clarinet hanging limply at her side. Wendy felt like she was pitiable for a moment until she remembered all the horrible things she'd done and decided to ignore it. Instead, she pushed into the crowd and somehow managed to find Levy, who she gently nudged.

"Okay…" she sighed out. "Hey, Gajeel!"

"What's up, shrimp?" he asked in response.

"Let's go out somewhere."

"Didn't we yesterday?" Gajeel asked, his face pulled into one of annoyance.

"No…I mean…I want to go on a proper date." Gajeel almost fell back in shock, but appeared to compose himself quicker.

"All right. Next Monday, I'll pick you up at six, shrimp." He turned away as if he were disinterested, but as Wendy watched Levy go after him, she noticed a spring in his step.

Suddenly a whirring sound was heard overhead. Wendy stopped, now only a short distance away from the dining hall, and looked up to see a beautiful red firework exploding in the sky. Fascinated by it, she took a step forward and almost tripped. She was pulled back before she did and somehow found herself against Romeo's chest.

"Hey, Wendy," he said softly, a tone that was accentuated by the fireworks.

"Hi…" she said breathlessly. Her euphoria was filling her over their win, highlighted by the fireworks of all shapes and colors. "We won!"

"Yeah…" Romeo seemed to be thinking of something, but didn't say what. Wendy just stared at him with that exuberant grin still on her face. For his part, Romeo continued to stare into her eyes for a moment.

Then he leaned forward and kissed her.

Author's Note: Cliffie! The focus of the story will now shift to relationships for a little bit, but rest assured that conflict is not over. This is only the end of Act 2 though and we still have a remaining act to go. For that matter, next week is that time again where I may not put out a chapter because of my other story but I'm working hard at it. I appreciate all your reviews and I hope you'll hit me up with some more. So please Review and Dare to Be Silly.