I do not own Fairy Tail or One Piece. Those belong to Hiro Mashima and Eichiro Oda respectively.

Mirajane

Mirajane swam under the waves, darting effortlessly through the currents. Other fish fled before her, fearing her barracuda form.

The Take Over felt a smirk tug at her lips. She couldn't see anyone up ahead; she was in the lead.

'Good…all I need to do is to maintain this pace and make sure no one gets in front,' she thought to herself.

Up ahead, she saw dark objects swimming in the water. Mirajane's eyes widened.

'Sharks.' She dived deeper, making sure to avoid the predators. She felt confident in her ability to fry the beasts, but she didn't want to take any risks or waste any Magic Power. Mirajane swam into a school of fish to blend in…only for the fish to scatter away in fright. Mirajane saw the sharks' posture change, their eyes upon her as they began to swim around her rather than over her.

They were circling her.

"Tch," Mirajane scoffed. "Catch me if you can!" She swam upwards at an angle, and the white-finned predators began to chase. Mirajane glanced back, and her heart beat faster as they gained on her. The foremost shark opened its needle-toothed maw, and Mirajane had to swerve hard to keep her tail from being bitten off. She saw the surface drawing closer, and put on all her speed, erupting from the water like a dolphin.

"Take Over!" Her body glowed as it changed shape. Her barracuda form was gone, replaced with an owl, her purple ribbon on its head. She fluttered high above the surface, watching the sharks as they prowled around, denied their prey. She turned her head, and saw a rising wave with a familiar figure standing on top of it.

"Oh no you don't!" Mirajane said aloud as she turned towards the mainland and began pumping her wings.

Erza

Erza stood atop of the wave, sword pointed forward. She blew past a duo of sharks; circling around as if they were looking for something. Glancing around, she saw an owl flying hard for the coast. But there shouldn't be any…

"Mira." She smirked. Did Mirajane get scared of some sharks? She would have turned them into shark sushi had they come near her like that!

She continued on towards the mainland. Good sense prescribed a slower pace, but the need to beat Mirajane to the goal was too strong to ignore. It took her about half an hour to reach the owl's tail feathers.

"Yo Mira, how is the height up there?" asked Erza coyly as the owl turned it' head toward her.

"Fine, now get lost you red slug!" Mirajane snapped. She turned towards the mainland, pumping her wings hard to get away.

"Who are you calling slug, featherbrain!" Erza barked back. She poured more magic into the waves, increasing her speed. The raced on, bickering all the while.

Coby

Coby kept his pace, arms slicing through the water, raising his head to take breaths as his legs kicked under him. He wasn't sure, but it must have been about half an hour since he jumped off the boat.

He was enjoying the swim. It reminded him of the times he and Helmeppo swam around the Marine base under Garp's orders for training.

As his eyes went underwater, he noticed a pair of sharks swimming below. Most would have been frightened by their presence, but most people would be the people of Earthland. Coby wasn't in the least afraid. They were just animals like any other, surviving as best they could. They attacked humans it was true, but usually because they mistook them for seals, their usual prey, if they were on surfboards. Compared to Sea Kings, the apex predators of the Grand Line, sharks just didn't seem like much of a threat.

The sharks had noticed him, and were swimming closer. Coby continued on his course. He had a little trick in mind, one Garp had taught him, for situations like this.

One of them swam within arm's reach. Coby reached out with one hand, and gently pushed the tapering snout away. As the shark swam away, the pink-haired boy smiled as he did the same with its companion.

'Good sharks, you go hunt elsewhere.' He swam up to the surface and took a long, deep breath.

"Okay…land is…" Coby's head swivelled left and right, searching for any sign of land. There it was, just off to his right, and not far.

"Alright." He took a deep breath and continued his swimming, without a care in the world and not even feeling winded. "Better get moving…"

Cana

"Made it!" cheered the brown-haired girl as she reached the sand-bar. She stood up, wiping sweat from her brow as she waded up the beach. Before her was a vast, grassy plain, and beyond it the Bardios mountains, a hundred kilometres distant.

She reached into her fanny pack and pulled out a ration bar. She bit into it, and her face lit up.

"Huh. Granola. Sweet!" She finished the bar, took a swig from her water bottle, then began walking towards the mountains. She limited herself to a brisk walk, so as to preserve what remained of her energy.

Up ahead Cana saw a dust cloud, moving further and further away. She smirked.

Erza and Mirajane

"You're not getting the best of me armor-freak!"

"Right back at you, you toad!"

Sparks flew between Erza and Mirajane's eyes as they sprinted towards the mountain. Both girls were panting and heaving, but still they charged on.

"Starting to slow down eh? Guess all those strawberry cakes you've been binging on have gone right to your thighs!"

"And who's been spending a lot of time cooking? You've been looking softer ever since you got that Cookery Book from the Master for your birthday! Feeling your skirt get tighter?"

"Am not, Sword-lover!"

"Are too, you troll!"

Cana

"Why am I not surprised?" chuckled Cana as she followed the dust cloud. Let them tire themselves out; she was just fine with her pace.

Coby

Coby finally reached the shore and settled down on the sand.

"Phew." He wiped his brow and rested his hands on his head, chest rising and falling. "Just like a morning swim." He began stretching out his legs, fingers touching toes, balancing to one side and then to the other and more. Coby took a deep breath as he opened up his fanny pack and took a swig of water. Bottling up the drink and eating a ration bar, he turned towards the mountains and noticed some foot prints.

"Oh?" There were two sets running side-by-side, and another set close by. "Well, should be no surprise that I'm last. Time to get a move on!" He smiled as he jogged up the sand and onto the soft grass. Compared to the hard concrete he and Helmeppo had endured running around their base after swimming, this was like running on soft cushions. He felt the flare gun bounce in his fanny pack and remembered Makarov's words.

"Just bear in mind," Makarov went on, his tone suddenly grim. "These are not nightmares, not illusions to scare you. There are monsters and dangerous fauna along the route. Use this if your life is in grave danger."

Coby looked back up, arms pumping and drawing slow, deep breaths as he jogged along. Before long, he noticed that the grass around the footprints was scorched and blackened.

"Erza and Mira are fighting again." His face fell at the thought. "Those two. This is an endurance test, not a race. Can't they see that?" He shook his head. They were both teenagers, yet their rivalry turned them into brats.

"If I come across them, I'd better tell them that," Coby said aloud. "Wouldn't want to be the one that solos this test!"

Mirajane and Erza

The two teenagers staggered, puffing and wheezing, sweating under the hot sun. Erza's Running Armor, consisting of sneakers, yellow short shorts, and red tank top, was soaked with sweat. Mirajane's own outfit stank of stale sweat, adding insult to injury.

The pair fell face-first to the ground, exhaustion finally overtaking them. They had managed thirty kilometres since leaving the sea, at a full-on sprint.

"God…damn it…all…" panted Mirajane as she tried to rise, only to fall flat on her face. Erza said nothing, but lay where she had fallen, breathing heavily. She glanced at Mirajane, and saw her scrabbling in her fanny pack for her water bottle. Erza rolled onto her back and sat up, opening up her own pack for her own bottle. The stale water was like nectar in her dry mouth. Both turned their heads to look at the still-distant mountains, maybe seventy kilometres away.

Mirajane downed more water, put the bottle back in her fanny pack, and began crawling on her arms and knees towards the mountain. Erza felt her pride rise anew, and she began to crawl after her.

"You're not…getting…the better…of me!" Erza spat out some dirt, feeling the dirt mesh with the sweat pouring off her.

"Right…back at you…thunder thighs…" Mirajane wheezed, and the two girls continued to bicker as they crawled towards the mountain range.

Cana

Cana slowed to a walk, wiping the sweat from her brow and taking deep breaths. She winced, her hand dropping to her right hip as it throbbed with pain

"Owww…." she groaned, slowing her walk as she rubbed her side. "I was afraid of this…stupid side-aches!" She took in a deep breath.

"No matter, I might as well just power walk the rest of the way." She sped up her walk, her right hand caressing her side.

"Yo!" called out a voice from behind. Cana turned her head, and saw a figure in the near distance, waving cheerfully at her.

"Coby! How did he…?"

Cana was quite surprised. She never anticipated Coby, who was stuck swimming to shore, to catch up to her THIS fast. Did he have some sort of magic to help him catch up? Or was she walking too much?

The old jealousy rose within her, piqued by the sight of him, by his cheerfulness. But it wasn't because he was about to catch up. It was because of Gildarts Clive.

She should have said something. But she had blown every chance, her words freezing in her throat. She…she didn't know what to say, or how to say it. She just felt so jealous of that he was so close to Gildarts, as if they were father and son.

Her eyes narrowed. She turned away, and began to jog.

"No wait! Stop!"

Surprised by his tone, Cana turned her head again. Coby was sprinting towards her, panic written all over his face. Suddenly he leapt into the air and swung his leg, sending an azure air blade whistling towards her.

"What the-!"

Cana dropped flat, and the ground in front of her exploded in a shower of dirt. Long, spindly legs reached out of the freshly-open hole, only to be severed by the air blade. The thing shrieked in pain, and Cana took the chance to back away and get to her feet.

Now she could see it clearly. In the hole before her was a Trap-Door Spider, the biggest she had seen in a long time. It skittered and staggered, black blood gushing from its forelegs where the air blade had severed them. Its fangs undulated, and its myriad eyes flashed.

It was hideous. It was hungry.

It was angry.

Cana shrieked as the spider lunged at her, scrabbling away as it pulled itself out of the pit. Another azure blade hissed through the air, striking the beast in its nightmarish jaws. It shrieked again and staggered back into the pit. Coby ran past her, waving his arms

"Get back! Back down you go!" he yelled, waving his arms and making himself look bigger. The spider backed down, its courage spent, and retreated into the darkness. Coby panted, shoulders heaving up and down as he turned around towards her.

Cana expected to see arrogance or pride in his countenance. But instead there was only compassion in his eyes.

"Hey, you okay? That thing didn't hurt you did it?" He knelt down in front of the still-shocked girl, hand outstretched.

"N-No…" Cana gulped as she took his hand. "I-I'm fine…"

The two of them caught their breath as the wind gained speed, making a unique whistling sound through the grass.

"How did…" The brunette turned towards Coby. "How did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Know when that spider was coming? And that blade…"

"Well, I encountered a trap door spider on my jog. It caught me," he gestured to his tattered shirt, "but I managed to kill it." Cana gasped.

"H-how! Weren't you caught and poisoned?!"

"Nah. I jammed my finger into its brain." He raised his other hand, covered in what looked like dried blood. "Before it could sink his fangs into me. Compared to what I've faced before, these guys are a joke." Coby chuckled awkwardly. "I figured that if there's more of these things, then we should be in the know. I found you first and then…I sensed that spider coming."

"Sensed it?" Cana quirked an eyebrow. "How?"

"Well…" Coby bashfully scratched his cheek. "That's sort of my magic. It's a type of Precognition I have, wherever killing intent is felt I can sense it, and I can see the future of what the holder of that killing intent does. So when I sensed that spider's killing intent rise…"

"You saw into the future?" Asked the girl. He nodded.

"And saw you getting grabbed, bitten, and dragged underground…that's why I did that Rankyaku when I did."

"Rankyaku?"

"The air blade. It's…another of my magic abilities." He looked away, his cheeks red.

"I see…well in that case…" Cana sighed and smiled lightly. "Thank you…you…" Her voice became shaky. "You saved my life…if that thing had dragged me under…" She trailed off, not wanting to think about it.

"Take it easy," Coby put a hand on her shoulder. "Fairy Tail members watch out for each other. Besides, you're a friend of mine."

The brunette felt blood rush to her cheeks. This wasn't the Coby she expected. Not at all!

"So," Coby stretched his arms then his legs. "Wanna catch up to Erza and Mira? We need to tell them before they run into any of those things. Knowing those two, they'll be tapped out already."

He laughed. Cana laughed with him.

"Yeah you're right. Saw the tracks?"

"Mmhmmm."

"Well…once we get back to Magnolia I owe ya a drink," Cana said softly. "You did save my life." Coby looked awkward, rubbing the back of his head.

"Well…ummm…you-" He trailed off as his eyes met hers. There was a long, rather awkward pause.

"Of course…" He smiled lightly. "Your treat of course?"

"My treat. Shall we?"

"Lets." And the two jogged towards the mountains, Coby taking off his shirt.

"Wha-What are you doing!" exclaimed Cana, as he wrapped his shirt around his head like a turban.

"It's hot out," he replied cheerfully. "I do this when it's hot out." And then Cana's eyes fell on his bare chest.

'OMIGOD HE'S A HOTTIE!'

Coby was ripped! Not even Laxus could be THAT buff! Plus, his physique more like a gymnast than some macho muscle-man. He even had some scars too!

"Uhhh Cana? Something up?" Coby looked away, blushing. "You're staring…"

"Eh!" Cana gulped and looked away. "R-Right! S-Sorry about that Marinford!" Cana sped up, drawing level with him. "W-Where did you get those scars?" She asked, panting a little.

"My scars? Well…" Coby looked torn and bit his lip. "I…would rather not tell…"

"Oh! If it's personal I won't press anymore!" Cana pleaded. "Sorry…"

"It's alright. Thanks for understanding Cana." Coby smiled right back, and it was Cana's turn to look away as blood rushed to her cheeks.

"Lets just focus on finding those two idiots, preferably before they're spider food." Cana grinned ear to ear, showing teeth. Coby laughed aloud.

"Yeah, lets!"

Erza and Mirajane

The girls were on their feet, power-walking towards the mountains, now forty kilometres distance. They huffed and puffed, pumping one arm in front of the other as they tried to draw ahead. There were no words, only the sound of panting, and the occasional shared glare.

And then the ground gave way beneath them. It happened too fast for either to do anything more than cry out in surprise.

And then they stopped, landing on something bouncy.

"What the…" Mirajane croaked as she tried to move…but couldn't. She was bound by something sticky. "Erza…you alright?"

"Yeah…" panted the redhead. "I'm fine…what happened?

Mirajane pulled up her arm as far as she could, and saw a long white strand stuck to the underside. She checked her other arm, and then her legs, finding more white strands in a kind of grid pattern. It reminded her of…

Her blood ran cold as she looked around the shoulder, praying that it wasn't what she thought it was. There was little light, but enough to see the white strands reaching out in all directions.

"We're in a spider's web…"

Here we are. The first CMM update of the new year.

Anyways, more of the Second Test, bonding and our girls are in a sticky situation Also, despite Cana gushing over Coby does not make this a harem. Coby will end up with ONE GIRL. I'm just testing the waters of which girl to pair him up with. Or teasing you. Or both. Or neither.

Anyways, why haven't I updated? School, laziness, fraternity business, my newest story Climb Every Mountain, Dark Souls 2, and other matters.

Hope you all enjoy.