Author's note: Thank you for waiting patiently for this new chappie! I never dreamed of such success! Really! And it's ALL thanks to you, the ones who read my fantasy!Like I did in another chapter, I took the liberty to copy Makarov's speech. As I've said before, Fairy Tail does NOT belong to me. This fan fiction was made by fans for fans! I do not earn anything material from this!

The exams FINALLY ended, and I managed to pass them all... I can chill for a while and let Gajeel get out of my head in one way or another (I've been sketching him and Levy a lot lately...)

I'm working in parallel with Mission to Dreamland, what can I say, I've been having some weird dreams about Gajeel and he's aching (me) to get out of my head... I'm not sure when I'll post another chappie on The Dragon Tamer, and I can't promise it will be any time soon. But I will continue it, so keep in touch.

As always, thank you so much for the reviews! It's always fun to read them all!

myzor king of war , WOW! thank you for ALL the reviews! it was fun reading them and they warmed my heart!

P , thanks for the love, it's greatly appreciated!

WaitingGermanLuver1 , I'm glad you found a favorite from everything I've written so far.

lexie loves anime , Natsu IS Natsu. Can't compare him with anyone else :))

CHAPTER 25: Tenroujima

The train reached its destination, where Fairy Tail took a ship and continued by sea. Each team was given a quarters and, after Master gave them a speech, they went to discuss strategy. Levy noticed Gajeel was rather quiet and he looked grumpy. When she asked what was wrong, he merely grunted and glared ahead. They settled in, Gajeel choosing his bed and throwing himself on it.

"Gajeel, seriously, you've been acting really strange ever since we got into the train. Something's up with you." Levy placed her backpack next to her own bed and went to Gajeel.

"I'm just a little tired, shrimp. I'll try to get some sleep." Gajeel turned with his back to Levy and lifted his knees to his chest.

"You're a terrible liar, you know that?" Levy sat next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You're shivering... Gajeel, please, talk to me. I already have a hunch about what's going on."

"Nothing's going on, really!" He turned enough to grin at the bluenette.

"Fine, I'll just ask Wendy to cast Troia on you." Levy motioned to get up, but Gajeel's hand shot out and stopped her.

"Don't... Please... I'll be fine." The Dragon Slayer was pale and beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

"Just as I thought. You're sensitive to transportation, like Natsu." Levy sat down again and caressed Gajeel's hand.

"I don't want them to know..." He crouched back into the fetal position, concentrating on his breathing. "And I don't think you should see me like this..." His voice was muffled by the pillow.

"Hey... I'm not going anywhere... If it makes you feel better, I'll stay for a while." Gajeel nodded, letting Levy know her presence did make him feel better. Suffering in silence was never a good option.

The sea was rather calm, but the weather was too hot, the girls slumping on the deck in their bathing suit.

"Aaaah... I'm gonna melt..." Lucy groaned, sweating heavily. "Gray... Your magic would be awesome right now..." Lucy looked over where Ice boy was slumped on a chair in his birth suit. It was so hot she didn't even care he was exposing every part of his body.

"I know it would be, but I can't summon any of it... I already tried..." Gray slumped under an umbrella, Juvia drooling somewhere behind him. Master made his appearance in a summer shirt.

"Is everyone here?"

"No, some are downstairs." Erza answered Master.

"Well, someone go fetch them, I have some announcement to do." Gray pushed himself from the floor and went to the quarters area, searching for the rest.

"Oooi, minna, get your asses up here, Master wants us all on deck!" He started opening the doors with his foot, oblivious to the fact he was still naked. Levy popped her head from her own room to see what the ruckus was all about and gasped.

"Gray! Wendy's down here! At least put some pants on!" Ice boy blushed and covered his intimate parts just as Gajeel lunged himself from bed and yanked Levy inside the room, covering her eyes with his hand.

"Uhm... Gajeel... What are you doing?" Levy placed a hand over his and tried to take it off. "I already saw everything, and it's not the first time either." Gajeel glared at the door and blushed.

"I'm gonna... go upstairs..." Gajeel took his hand off Levy's eyes and yanked the door open. Lucky for him, Gray was still on the corridors, yelling for everyone to get on deck. The Dragon Slayer smirked and elbowed him in the head when he passed him.

"Put some clothes on, dumb ass!" Gajeel ran into Wendy, who came to see what the thumping noise was, but she got spun around by the Dragon Slayer before she could see Gray in his birth suit.

"Master wants us on deck, kid." Gajeel rested his arm on her shoulder, dragging the youngster away from Gray.

"But, Gajeel-san, I gotta let Mest-san know..." She tried to complain, but there was no escaping.

"Don't worry, Master won't start anything until we're all present." Wendy shrugged and followed her senpai.

Levy grabbed a towel and covered Gray's behind before she tried to get him back to his senses.

"That asshole! I'm gonna..." Gray jumped from the floor once he regained consciousness, surprising the bluenette.

"You're gonna put some clothes on, and fast! 'Ttaku... You should think about Wendy's innocence before stripping!" Gray blushed and looked away, mumbling a thank you for the towel. Levy got up and called Mest and Natsu, gathering everybody for Master's announcement. They shuffled for a moment before Makarov cleared his throat, demanding silence.

"I suppose everybody saw Tenroujima, we're almost there." The ship came to a stop in the middle of the sea. "It's said that, long ago, there were fairies on that island." He looked down from where he stood and watched his every child. "Also, in reference to the very first Fairy Tail master, there is where Mavis Vermillion Sleeping Ground is!" The guild members looked at one another and let Master continue. "Now, I will announce you first trial! You see the smoke rising over the shore? You have to get over there first. You will find eight passages, but only one team can enter each passage. And, at the end of each passage, this will happen." Master waved his hand and a magical screen appeared, showing all eight teams what was going to happen. Three passages were blocked by Erza, Guidarts and Mirajane, while four other were programmed for fight between the examinees. Only one route was marked as 'Calm'. "Only the teams that get through this will pass the first trial. In this first trial, you're being tested on 'armed might' and 'luck'!" Everyone gapped at their father figure.

"Wait, the exam has already started?" Gray looked better around the ship. "But we're still at sea!"

"The exam has officially started! Good luck to you all!" Makarov beamed proudly at his children, letting them fly off or swim to shore.

"All right! Happy, this is our cue!" Natsu jumped in the air.

"Aye, sir!" Happy activated his Aera and caught Natsu, heading for Tenroujima, but they both flattened their faces in an invisible wall. A quiver of laughter filled the astounded silence.

"Sorry, the wall will dissipate in 5 minutes. Yami no Ecriture! Wings of darkness!" Fried gave them a wicked smile as he flew off, with Bickslow air boarding on his puppets.

"Later, losers!" Losers, losers, ha, ha, ha His wooden dolls cackled as Natsu fisted through the wall.

"Fried, you asshole! Get these runes out of my way! I'm gonna beat you to a pulp!" Natsu's head flamed while Levy smiled warmly and took out her magical pen.

"Whacha doin', shrimp?" Gajeel looked with his arms crossed at the bluenette.

"Gettig us out of here. Come on!" Levy raised the rune barrier just as Lucy turned to see what Gajeel was whistling about.

"Levy-chan! You're a genius!" The Spirit mage beamed at the petite mage, but her expression changed to a horrified one when she saw an impish grin and her and Gajeel jumped in the water, swimming as fast as they could.

"Sorry, Lu-chan! I'm gonna make it up to you. Good luck!" Gajeel was laughing his heart out seeing the look on Blondie's face.

"What? You traitor!" Lucy shook her fist in the air. Elfman was watching Evergreen intently as she did the same to the runes, earning a hug and the furious blush that followed. They threw themselves into the water and off they went. Lucy and Cana looked depressed as three teams already reached the shore when Fried's runes dissipated, thus the adventure starting for the last five teams.

Back on shore, Gajeel and Levy were panting heavily, laughing.

"Oh my gosh, did you see Lucy's face? I know I'm gonna pay for it, but still... Totally worth it." Gajeel shook his hair and kept a wide grin on his face.

"Come on, let's get some ass kickin'" Gajeel fisted his palm and his red eyes were blazing. Levy shook her head and went to the magical passages that were waiting for them.

"Lucky! We're the second team to get here! Go on, choose!" Levy motioned for the seven available tunnels, ignoring the big, red X above one of them.

"What, me?" Gajeel gave her a surprised look, making her smile.

"You wanna get some fighting done, choose a tunnel." Gajeel shrugged and grabbed her hand, entering the dark tunnel. A magical net blocked their return, so they had nowhere else to go but forward.

TBC

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