A/N: Hey guys, Celestial Sky Dragon here bringing you a brand new chapter of The Hellfire Dragon Slayer!

The Tenrou Arc is in full swing now, and in this chapter you get to see some of the trials that are going on. I hope you like the battle in this chapter, It took me awhile to decide who Aiden was going to go up against, but I'm sure you'll all like it. I worked super hard on it so please tell me how I did.

The latter half of the Tenrou Arc is actually becoming quite dark. I'm not sure if I originally intended it that way, but it's rapidly becoming so, and I like it a lot. It's really fun to write villains, I can try a lot of stuff that I wouldn't normally try with heroes. I don't know why, but villains have always been my favorite to write, and the Eight Kin of Purgatory are my chance to shine. Of course not all of them will make an appearance, just those who I deem important.

Well, I actually reached Chapter 50 of this story, and I'm super excited for that. I never thought it would grow that long, and it will actually grow even longer, it's a massive achievement for me, as this is literally the longest piece of work I've come up with. In a few more chapters I'll have reached 400,000 words, almost half way to my goal! I hope you'll share in my sentiments when I reach that goal, it's going to be awesome. Maybe by fall I'll have reached that goal, at the rate I'm writing, I should be near Tartaros by the summer time.

Well, with that out of the way, I leave you with this chapter. Remember to stay frosty, and if you get hungry, snap into a Slim Jim.

Song of the Day: Savior of Song by Nano.

This song is actually the opening to Arpeggio of Blue Steel. I've been listening to it a lot recently. I remember the first time I listened to this was in an anime mix on the internet. It was actually the reason I got into the anime in the first place. It's a blend of Japanese and English lyrics, as the lead singer is actually Japanese-American. Give it a listen and let me know if you like it.

Also, I am not sorry for Freed's creepiness last chapter, I have too much fun with sex jokes, I saw my chance and I took it.

Tenrou Arc

Chapter 47

The Exam Begins!

It had been a long two days. Due to some stormy weather, the trip had been delayed, but now the Fairy Tail members were back on track. The sun had been relentless, assaulting all of the mages with its shine and unbearable heat. Even Phoebe had been rather tired, as she had been absorbing sunlight into her system and increasing her magic stores. Aiden was sitting in the center of the deck, laying back against the mast. The sail was making a nice breeze that had kept him cool for most of the trip. He had taken his vest off, choosing to stay shirtless, he had also taken one of Wendy's spare sunhats, having placed it on his head. His eyes were closed, hands behind his head as he tried to relax. Thankfully, he had his pills, so the bobbing of the waves wasn't bothering him too much.

Everyone around him was much in the same state. All of the girls had changed into their swimsuits, an effort to cool themselves off. Lucy was almost melted on her deck chair, as she lazily fanned herself. Happy was laying on a table next to her, muttering things in his heat induced hysteria. Gray had taken his clothes off again, but thankfully had been sitting down, having made a chair out of ice to keep cool. Juvia hadn't stopped staring at him, creeping both the ice mage and everyone else aboard the vessel. Tenrou Island was just visible on the horizon, not far from their position. It would still take them another hour to reach it.

It was a large spit of land in the middle of the ocean, with a large tree smack in the center. The Master had explained, that the Tenrou Tree was a magic bearing tree and it was where most of Fairy Tail's magic power came from. The guild marks were Mavis Vermillion's blessing, allowing them to gain an extra boost from the tree. While on the island, their magic would be stronger than anywhere else.

Aiden sighed, a groan escaping his lips. He was absolutely bored, and the temperature wasn't making him feel any better. As a fire dragon, the heat normally didn't bother him, but at the current standing, it was actually making him sweat, something that almost normally never happened. Oh what he wouldn't give for a glass of ice cold root beer, that thought made him miss Mirajane quite a lot. The barmaid always seemed ready when he had a craving for the soft drink. He heard the sounds of scribbles nearby and looked up, seeing his girlfriend standing by the railing, on the port side of the ship. He shook his head, clearing his throat.

"What are you doing?" he asked. She jolted a bit, glancing over her shoulder.

"Um...nothing...just staring into the ocean." she said.

"Uh huh." he said, not believing her. She had been standing there for the last twenty minutes, muttering things under her breath. He had heard the word Archaic several times, but he didn't think much on it.

"Don't mind me, sorry for bothering you. I didn't know you were sleeping." she said, turning back to face the ocean.

"You never bother me beautiful. Cute bikini by the way." he said, making her blush a bit.

"You think so?" she asked.

"Oh yeah, plaid is a good look on you." he said, giving her a thumbs up. Her eyes brightened up a bit, and she grinned, turning back to face the ocean.

"Anyone want to hear a joke?" Levy suddenly asked, grabbing everyones attention. They all groaned, various no's echoing through the ship.

"Sorry Levy, but you aren't funny." Elfman said, glancing at the blue haired girl.

"That's rude. I am funny...Gajeel laughs at my jokes." she said, glancing at the iron dragon who had been munching on some silverware. His eyes darted in all directions as he slowly took another bite from a fork, not wanting to say anything.

"Alright then, if you are funny then tell me a joke. I'll laugh at anything, no matter how fucked up it sounds." Aiden said, crossing his arms. Levy grinned, clapping her hands.

"Okay, what's brown and sticky?" she asked.

"Oh, that's easy. It's shit!" he said.

"No, it's a stick. Why would it be shit?" she asked, earning a shrug from Aiden.

"I dunno, I've stepped in dog shit before and it was sticky and brown. Smelled like shit too." he said.

"My god, I have never met such an uncouth young man in my entire life." Evergreen snapped.

"Get used to it sweetheart, I grew up in the slums. What you see is what you get." he said, earning a high five from Phoebe who was walking by. Levy shook her head, licking her lips.

"Alright, how about another joke?"

"Sure, can you make it funny this time?" Yuna said, looking up from her fashion magazine.

"A visibly exhausted man walks into a bar and asks for a strong drink.

"Long day?" the bar tender asks. The man shakes his head. "No, all days are 24 hours long." the man replied, sad at how uneducated the bartender was."

"That didn't even make me kek." Aiden said, shaking his head.

"Face it Levy, you just aren't good at telling jokes. I got one, why did the blonde build a bridge over the river?" Gray asked.

"I dunno."

"So she could have shade when she swam across." he replied. Aiden broke into chuckles, his shoulders shaking a bit.

"Okay, that one was good." he said.

"Really, generic blonde jokes? You know not all blondes are stupid." Lucy said, sitting up from her seat.

"We never said they were." Aiden said, suddenly getting defensive.

"God, I hate blonde girl jokes, if I could swim, I would go over there and kick your ass." Lucy snapped. Everyone broke into laughter, making the blonde rather satisfied at her joke. Levy however deflated, muttering things under her breath. Cana sighed, patting the girl's head.

"Look alive brats, were almost there." Makarov said, grabbing their attention.

"I can see it from here, it looks like an island on top of another island!" Yuna said, sweeping some hair out of her eyes.

"Do you feel that? The magic power is amazing...no wonder Master decided to hold the exam here." Wendy said, stepping away from the railing. Aiden nodded, his eyes falling on Mest.

He didn't know anything about the man at all. He remembered the day he had joined the guild, he had met several members. Mest hadn't been one of them, no matter how many missions he had taken or how many times he had been in the guildhall, he had never seen him. Yuna had told him that he was friends with Mystogan, but Wendy didn't recognize him at all. The young man glanced at Aiden, a curious look on his face.

"Something wrong Aiden?" he asked.

"No no...just wondering how this is all going to turn out." he said simply. Mest chuckled, shaking his head.

"You don't trust me do you?" he asked. Aiden's eyes widened a bit in shock. He chuckled, glancing away from him.

"No, no I don't. I've never met you, and I don't think you should be near any of my friends. But the master trusts you and so does everyone else, so I'll put my faith in their beliefs. Just know, if something happens to Yuna, or any of my other friends, I'm going to give the other side of your face a matching scar." he said firmly. Mest nodded, and looked away from him, not wanting to anger him anymore. Yuna pouted, placing her hands at her hips.

"That wasn't very nice Aiden."

"Sorry, I'm just worrying over my teammate...but then again, we aren't teammates right now. I guess I'll just wish you good luck." he said, earning a smile from her. Makarov cleared his throat, gaining their attention.

"Look there, our holy land Tenrou Island. This is a very special place, as it houses the grave of our first master. Mavis Vermillion, a kind young girl and lover of Fairies. You know, legends say Fairies used to live here." he said.

"Seriously?" Lucy asked.

"Indeed, it holds great significance for our guild. The Tenrou Tree is as old as the island itself, and grants those with our crest divine protection. Those on the island with our crest cannot die so long as they are on it. But that's enough about the island. It is time to explain the rules of the exam." he said, willing a large board to appear before them. It had a map of the island on it, ten different paths were drawn on it. Four of them lead to the S-class mages, the words Challenge Fight written above it. Three paths joined together, the words Team Fight written on it. The last three paths were blank, the word Serenity written on them.

"The First task for you is to get to that smoke trail on the island. There are ten paths and all of them are meant for a single team of two. So don't dawdle and pick a path. They will all be randomized, as you can see, four paths will lead to an S-class mage, defeat them and you'll move on to phase two of the exam!" Makarov said.

"Phase two? How many Phases are there?" Lucy asked curiously.

"Ah, I'm not disclosing that. Three paths will lead to a battle, eliminate the opposite team to move on. Finally, there are three Serenity paths. You won't be fighting anything on these paths, but don't be fooled, you'll still be tested. Teams that defeat these challenges will move on to Phase two, and will meet here at the Camp site. Good luck, the exam starts now!" he cried.

"We're in the middle of the ocean though." Gray said. Wendy took a hold of Aiden's hand, pulling him along.

"Whoa...Wendy what are you pulling me for?"

"Dark Ecriture: Wings!" she cried, swiping the air in front of her. Violet lights shot out of them, a pair of of wings sprouting from their backs. She shot into the air, pulling him along, though he was flailing and screaming, not expecting that from the girl.

"What the hell? They just took off!" Elfman cried.

"Move before we're left behind!" his partner cried, racing toward the edge of the ship. She was about to jump, only for her to slam into a red barrier. She groaned in pain, clearly confused.

"What is this?" Lucy asked.

"An enchantment, only dragon slayers under the age of fifteen are able to pass through this barrier. It has a ten minute time limit. Oh she's good, but not good enough, let us go Bixlow." Freed said, swiping the barrier with his sword. He and his partner easily passed through.

"Hey, no fair. Rewrite the enchantment!" Natsu cried angrily, slamming his fists onto it.

"This barrier is childs play. Freed rewrote the time limit. Don't worry Elfman, I can get us through easily." Evergreen said, reaching into her top for her light pen. The white haired man was left to wonder where exactly she had that hidden.

"I can't believe this shit, we got duped by kids!" Gray said, crossing his arms.

"Well, that's why you shouldn't mess with love birds. Alone they're strong, but together they are unstoppable. I can attest to that." Phoebe said, earning a blank look from Iona. She chuckled, pulling a light pen from her back pocket.

"But, thankfully Wendy left her notes lying around, I can get us out of here lickity split!" she said, racing toward the barrier. Elfman and Evergreen burst through, both of them jumping into the water, followed by Gajeel and Levy.

"Aw man, this sucks!" Lucy cried, watching as her guildmates all headed toward the island.

Aiden and Wendy touched down on the island. They glanced back at the ship, seeing all of their friends heading toward them. The wings on their backs disappeared, the enchantment having wore off.

"Nice call on the wings babe, but at least let me know when we're going to take off."

"Sorry, I only had one shot before Mister Freed figured out what I did." she said.

"It's impressive how far you've come. I knew you were doing something, but I didn't know what. Alright, it's time to pick a path, ten paths, three empty ones, six battle paths. Which one do you want?" he asked, glancing at the blue haired girl.

"Um...it's my choice?" she asked.

"Yeah, I don't mind letting you choose." he said, giving her a grin. She nodded, looking around.

"Let's take path D. I can smell fresh air coming from it!" she said. He nodded, heading toward path D. A magic barrier appeared right after the two of them entered, blocking them from leaving.

"So, it seems like we're in this until the finish. Let's give it our all." Aiden said, walking up the path.

The path itself seemed to be a rocky cave system. A few stalactites grew from the cavern ceiling, slow drips of water falling to the ground. Small little lightning bugs were floating around them, keeping the cavern lit up. Aiden shoved his hands in his pockets, trying to focus on the path ahead.

"Are you alright Aiden? You're rather quiet." Wendy said, grabbing his attention.

"I'm fine, just thinking." he said.

"Nervous?"

"Nope, not anymore. I'm thinking about Mest...I dunno about you, but I don't trust that guy. Something that Carla told me before we left really left me unsettled." he said. Wendy pulled him to a stop, looking into his eyes.

"What did she say?" she asked curiously.

"Huh? Oh uh...she said a lot cryptic stuff. I'm aware of her ability you know...she said she saw Cana and Natsu crying...there was a body there as well. There was a boy too." he said. He took out a folded piece of paper from his pocket, handing it to Wendy. She unfolded it, her eyes scanning the paper.

"Is..this what he looks like?" she asked.

"Yeah, I did my best to draw him from her description. That's what I came up with." he said. The drawing depicted a young man in his mid teens, with dark black hair. He had fair colored skin, without a single blemish. His most noticeable feature was his crimson red eyes. Wendy swallowed hard, feeling really nervous all of the sudden.

"Maybe it's just a false alarm. I doubt Master would let random people walk around here." she said.

"Yeah, you're right. But I can't help but worry." he said, taking the paper back. The two of them resumed their walk, walking hand in hand. They settled into a comfortable silence, just happy to be near each other.

The path opened up a bit, turning into a giant chamber of sorts. There was a large gaping hole near the very left side of the cave, allowing natural sunlight to filter into it. The sound of the waves lapping the land echoed through the cavern, the scent of salt drifted through the air. Aiden noticed a large grate at the other end of the chamber, which had been closed. He swallowed hard, getting into a stance. Wendy noticed this and followed suit, looking around the room. They noticed a thick blackish purple cloud of smoke started gathering around them, moving around the floor. Without warning, it wrapped around their legs, lifting them into the air.

"Whoa, what the hell is going on?" Aiden cried out, watching his pack and other things fall to the ground. Wendy cried in shock, her arms flailing around wildly.

"So, what are the odds that two of my closest friends would wonder into my path?" a firm yet familiar voice said. Aiden swallowed hard, seeing the mist start swirling. It all flowed toward the center of the chamber, taking the shape of a human. When it disappeared, Yamato stood in it's place. He had been expecting her to wear her dress, but was actually surprised to see her wearing a violet bikini, that hugged her curves nicely.

"Yamato?" Wendy cried out, shock written on her face.

"We're fucked with a capital F." Aiden muttered. The woman tossed the two mages back, slamming them into the back wall. They cried in pain, dropping to the ground in heaps.

"Oh come on, giving up already? Where's that spunk I saw in Edolas?" she asked, placing her hands behind her back. Aiden stood up, glancing at Wendy.

"We have to give it our all. That's not our friend right now, that's our enemy, and if we want to win, then we'll have to take her down." He said firmly, tossing his vest aside. Wendy nodded, shaking her head a bit.

"You're right, we aren't going easy on you Yamato!" she said firmly.

"Good, give it your all. You're exam starts now!" she said, raising her arms above her head, two thick clouds of Poisonous smoke gathering around her body. She threw her arms forward, sending the cloud at them. Wendy drew her pen from her top, clicking it on, she swiped the air in front of her, a stream of runes appearing from its tip.

"Dark Ecriture: Shield!" she said, swiping the air a few times. The ground around her and Aiden glowed a brilliant crimson as the poison slammed into them, the runes having protected them from the attack.

"Huh...I wasn't expecting that. Guess I'll have to get a little more physical!" Yamato said, dashing forward, arms behind her body. She took a swing at Aiden, only for his body to disappear into a wisp of flame. She came to a stop, glancing up seeing a flaming fist coming at her. She raised her arms in time to block it, but was sent flying back several feet. Aiden smirked, running forward.

"What's wrong Yamato? You were talking that good shit a second ago, but now we got you on the ropes!" he said, slamming his flaming fist into her chest, sending her back a few more feet.

"Oh, this is certainly going to be fun." the poison mage said, cracking her neck. She shot forward, body turning into a poison mist. Aiden took a swipe at her, only for it to pass through. She grinned, slamming her knee into his chest, sending him flying back. He cried in pain, violet smoke coming off his body.

"Shit...that poison hurts." he muttered, rubbing his sore spot. Wendy held her hand out, focusing her healing light on his injury.

"That was a Neurotoxin, it pretty much attacks all of your nerves which is why it hurts so much. You weren't the only ones training you know..but let's stop messing around. I haven't got the time." she said, growing rather serious.

The air around them seemed to change as she expelled a bit of her magic power. Aiden was frightened a bit. He thought Erza was strong, but now he could tell that Yamato was much stronger than her, no doubt thanks to her lacrima implant. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked to his right, seeing Wendy's smiling face.

"Let's not give up yet. She's testing us, and we can't fail." she said.

"Right. So let's give it everything we got, right from the beginning." he said, his body glowing a bright sapphire. Wendy mimicked his actions, both of them entering their Drive forms. Yamato glanced at the two, sensing a lot of magic power from them. Her eyes widened in shock.

"Magic boosting spells, and that's not even all of their magic. This is just a fraction, just how strong did these two get?" she thought to herself.

Aiden ran forward first, forcing the woman to brace for impact. She didn't even see Wendy zoom past him until she was literally in front of her. She crossed her arms, taking the brunt of the impact.

"Sky Dragon's Crushing Claw!" she chanted. A funnel of wind burst from her foot, the blades cutting into Yamato's skin. Wendy kicked her chin, sending her flying up a few feet.

"Hellfire Dragon's Leg Strike!" Aiden chanted, slamming his fire coated leg into the woman. She slammed into the back wall, the stone breaking on contact. She grit her teeth, feeling some slight burns on her skin. She smirked, pushing herself out of the stone.

"Very good, speed and power has definitely increased. But that isn't enough to defeat me." she said. A magic seal appeared under their feet, streams of violet black acid shot from them, causing the two teenagers to scream in pain.

"Poison God's Toxic Spikes. Any step you make will only debilitate you more." she said, slamming her foot into the ground, hundreds of tiny purple spikes grew from the ground, surrounding the two dragon slayers. Aiden grit his teeth, his body tingling from the poison. He was panting a bit as it starting to take effect.

"We need to figure something out Wendy." Aiden said. She nodded, swiping her hand in front of herself.

"Dark Ecriture: Wings!" she chanted. Wings sprouted from their backs, lifting them off the ground. Aiden smirked, shooting forward, his entire body coated in blue flames.

"Hellfire Dragon's Sword Horn!"

"Poison God's Halberd!" Yamato chanted, throwing a poison coated kick at Aiden.

The two attacks met in the middle, causing a violent explosion, throwing the three mages back. Aiden grit his teeth, as the tiny spikes dug into his skin. He slammed his fist into the ground, setting the entire cavern floor on fire. Purple and blue smoke slowly towered into the air as each of the spikes was burned away.

"Huh...that's one way to get rid of that. You've got tenacity, a quality all Fairy Tail members seem to have." Yamato said, brushing some soot off her body.

"I've got to admit, I'm having a good time, but we can't waste anymore time here. The other teams must have gotten past this point already." Aiden said.

"I doubt it, anyone who could get past Erza would be a miracle, and I wouldn't mess with Mira or Gildarts either. Trust me, we're not moving from here for at least another half hour. Maybe less if I feel like going all out on you." she said, giving them a wink. Aiden glanced at Wendy, giving her an nod. She closed her eyes, raising her arms into the air, body glowing brightly.

"Fast Winds that run the heaven, Stout Arms that tear the heavens, Strong Armor that protects the heavens! Arms and Armor, Vernier! Enchant!" she cried. Aiden burst forward, literally flashing in front of Yamato. His fists burst into flames as he started punching at the woman, increasing his speed.

"We're not giving in yet! Hellfire Dragon's Flurry of Dancing Flames!" he cried, quickening his punches. He planted his foot firmly on the ground, delivering a final punch right to Yamato's jaw, which sent her flying back. She slammed into the ground, completely dazed. She sat up rubbing her jaw.

"His speed is amazing...no doubt thanks to Wendy's stat boosts. Those two really do make an interesting pair." she thought to herself. Her body glowed brightly as she turned into poisonous mist. Aiden and Wendy stood back to back, eyes darting in all directions.

"I think it's cute that you two fight so well together. You've been getting closer lately, will I be expecting kids soon?" Yamato asked, her voice coming from all directions.

"What? Get real, we're too young for that." Aiden snapped. He already knew she was trying to get them flustered. Wendy was blushing brightly, but she wasn't going to let the older woman get too her. Yamato chuckled, her body reforming atop a giant boulder. She had several white mushrooms in her hands, along with a few other things.

"You know why I picked this place for my trial? It's because it's filled with all of these mushrooms, and this thick pasty moss. These items in my hands happen to be poisonous. Do you know what happens when I ingest massive amounts of poison?" she asked.

"Oh shit." Aiden muttered, backing away from the woman. He and Wendy watched as she took delicate bites from each morsel in her hands, she licked her fingers afterward, reaching for her waist, where a violet bottle sat. She pulled the cork out of it and drank its contents.

"Ah, you could say...I have a fire in my belly." she said.

She closed her eyes, focusing on the new power flowing through her. The area started shaking, as she released all of her magic power at once. With a shout, the magic burst from within, surrounding her body. Her hair had gone from a dark violet to a dark black color. The area around her face had turned purple, and she had gained various purple markings around her arms and legs. Her arms seemed to have been covered in thick purple material, almost forming gloves. Her legs had been covered by the same material, which was glowing an ominous violet color. She opened her eyes, which were glowing a vibrant purple.

"Just like you Dragon Slayers have Dragon Force, we God Slayers have a special form as well." she said, literally floating off the boulder.

"God Force, the strongest state a God Slayer can achieve. They say a God Slayer that enters this form has the power of a God." Wendy said. Aiden swallowed hard, facing the woman in front of him.

"I'm not letting some silly gimmick defeat me. So give us everything you've got Yamato, we aren't backing down!" he cried. She smirked, disappearing from sight. She flashed in front of him, grabbing him by the neck. She held him up, squeezing his throat.

"That's what I wanted to hear you say." she said ominously.

"Hellfire...Dragon...Scales." Aiden choked out.

His body burst into flames, covering his all of his skin in thick flaming sapphire scales. Yamato hissed as she was forced to drop him. Wendy took her chance, delivering a fierce kick to the woman. She burst forward, driving her knee into her chest. She rose her arm above her head, a thick funnel of wind forming at her elbow.

"Sky Dragon's Lance!" she cried, slamming her elbow into the woman's back. The funnel burst through her body, making her scream in pain. Yamato grit her teeth, grabbing the girl by her neck and throwing her into the air, taking a deep breath.

"Poison God's Bellow!" she chanted, unleashing her breath attack. The spiraling funnel of poison had grown twice in size, due to Yamato's God Force. Wendy howled in pain as the attack slammed into her. She slammed into the cavern ceiling, her skin turning a sickly purple as the poison seeped into her body. She fell to the ground, poison smoke drifting off her form.

"Hellfire Dragon's Lava Plume!" Aiden chanted, slamming his hands into the ground.

Yamato turned around, gasping as she was enveloped in a thick funnel of sapphire flames. Aiden grit his teeth, panting a bit. The poison coursing through his system was really doing a number to him, but he wasn't about to bow down to her. Yamato burst through the flames, driving her poison coated knee into his chin. She grabbed his arm, slamming him into the ground. He squeaked, the air having left his lungs. She picked the teenager up, throwing him into Wendy who had been struggling to stand.

"Face it, you two are done. You put in a great effort, but it won't be long until that poison brings you down." Yamato said. Aiden grit his teeth, clawing at the ground. His body was littered with cuts and scratches, some oozing blackish red blood. He forced himself to his feet, facing his opponent. He held his hand out, helping Wendy to her feet.

"We're not giving up! We've been through too much to call it quits!" he said.

"Aiden it's alright. Sometimes it's alright to admit defeat, there's no shame in that." Yamato said.

"Heh, that's right. There's no shame in tapping out, so why don't you do me a favor and throw in the towel already? Can't you see you can't go on anymore?" he asked.

"Get real, look at which one of us is winning!" she said firmly. Aiden shook his head, glancing at his girlfriend, who looked ready to drop. She gave him a nod.

"Let's go." she said.

"Right." he said.

Both of them burst forward, running as fast as they could. Yamato kept her eyes on both of them, not knowing what they were going to do. They both slid to a stop, placing their fists into their open hands. Her eyes widened in shock.

"No way...she learned maker magic?" she cried out in surprise.

"Fire/Wind Make: Shuriken!" they chanted in unison. Throwing their hands forward, a stream of fire and wind shuriken flew at the Poison Goddess. She spun on her heel, sending globs of poison out at the attack.

"Poison God's Acid Spray!" she chanted, destroying as much as she could of the attack. She didn't even see Wendy until it was too late.

"Sky Dragon's Palm Strike!" she chanted, driving her hand into Yamato's chest. She gasped in pain, being sent flying back, right into Aiden's attack.

"Hellfire Dragon's Leg Strike!" he chanted, slamming his flaming leg into her back, sending her flying forward. Yamato dug her hand into the ground, forcing herself to a stop. A purple magic circle appearing under her feet.

"I have to finish it here. I don't know if I can actually defeat them." she muttered. She channeled her magic into the circle, throwing her head up.

"Metsujin Ogi!" she cried out. Her body glowed a brilliant violet, her magic power bursting from her very body. Aiden and Wendy got into a defensive stance, not knowing what she was about to do. They all watched as millions of glittering poison stingers appeared around them, all aiming at the Dragon slayers. Yamato opened her violet eyes, snapping her fingers.

"Rain of Poison!" she chanted.

The stingers shot forward, whizzing loudly as it zoomed at the two dragon slayers. They didn't even flinch, waiting for the attack to hit them head on. The stingers exploded on contact, sending sand and rocks in all directions. Yamato panted a bit, wiping some sweat from her brow. She had to admit, they were good, especially if they had driven her into using her God Force. As the dust cleared however, she noticed that the two mages had disappeared. She glanced up at the cavern ceiling, seeing all of the poison stingers sticking from it. Her eyes widened, seeing the glowing purple magic seal.

"No...no!" she cried.

"Dark Ecriture: Deafness, Blindness!" Wendy chanted, slamming her palm into Yamato. She normally wouldn't use those enchantments on anyone, but if she wanted to win, she had to use everything she could think of. Yamato's heart started racing. Her hands reached for her eyes, everything had gone dark, and she couldn't hear anything, not even her own voice.

"What's going on? What is this?" she thought fearfully.

"Now Wendy!" he cried, holding his hand out. Wendy nodded, taking his hand tightly in her own. They activated their magic, allowing both elements to blend into one. A large funnel of fire and wind started forming around them, with such intensity that lightning started crackling in the air.

"Elements of Fire and Wind, combine into one and aid us in this dance of flames and destruction." they chanted in unison.

Yamato grit her teeth, unable to see or hear anything, all she could do was throw acid in every direction, hoping to hit the two mages. Her sense of smell wasn't as developed as she had wanted it to be, but she could tell the air was moving away from her by how the oxygen was moving. She swallowed hard, mentally bracing for impact.

"Twin Fang: Hellfire Sky Dragon's Hurricane!" they chanted, holding their arms outward. The large spiraling storm above them shot forward, spinning with great speed. The enchantments on Yamato finally wore off, her eyesight returning to her, just in time to see the attack heading toward her. She just stared at it wide eyed, a smirk on her face.

"You win." she said, seconds before it hit. It made contact, a loud explosion shaking the entire area. It was so great, that even the other trial goers felt it, stopping for a few seconds to figure out what it was.

Aiden and Wendy dropped to the ground, completely spent. That last attack had taken the last of their magic. They just lay there, panting in each others arms. Both of them were tired, sweaty and hurt. They heard a loud thud, and looked up, seeing Yamato laying on the ground in a heap. The purple marks on her body disappeared, returning her to normal. They heard the grate blocking their path slowly opening, slamming into the cavern ceiling with a loud bang.

"We did it...we did it!" Aiden cried joyfully.

"Yatta! We did it! I knew we could do it, I love you!" Wendy cried, peppering Aiden's face with kisses. He chuckled, hugging his girlfriend tightly.

"We did it sweetheart, we beat Yamato! Thank you...thank you, thank you!" he said, capturing her lips in a kiss, pulling her on top of himself. He hugged her tightly, loosing himself in her lips and in her intoxicating scent.

"Ahem...if you don't mind, save the baby making until after the trials are over." Yamato said, standing in front of them, clutching her bleeding arm. They pulled away from each other, groaning a bit in pain.

"Ow...are you alright Yamato? We didn't hurt you too much right?" Wendy asked.

"Just my pride. You two did absolutely great and you have proved yourselves as S-class capable. It's a shame that only one of you could become an S-class, because you both deserve it. Go ahead, the base camp is through that gate. But before you go, here." she said, pulling two auto-injectors from her pack.

"They neutralize my poison. I spent weeks developing an antidote to my own toxins so I wouldn't have to hurt people. You can't die while on Tenrou Island, but I don't want you to have lasting damage." she said. Aiden nodded, pulling the cap off the injector. He hissed a bit as he stabbed it into his thigh, feeling the antidote enter his system. He felt a million times better. He helped Wendy to her feet after she was done with hers.

"Thanks so much Yamato. You were a wonderful opponent, and an even greater sister." he said, hugging the woman. Wendy followed suit, hugging her tightly. Yamato smiled warmly, hugging the two teenagers back.

"Master Roubaul would be so proud of you. No...I'm sure he is proud of you, where ever he is. Don't fail the old man, give it your all." she said.

"We know...we'll give it our all, for him and the rest of Cait Shelter. Let's go Wendy, destiny awaits us!" he cried, grabbing his pack.

"Do you think we could take some time, I want to kiss you some more." Wendy said, following after the boy.

"I suppose so...but I didn't bring any condoms so let's just stick to kissing." he said. Yamato rolled her eyes, shaking her head.

"Ah, to be young again." she said. Her breath hitched a bit, her head snapping in the other direction. She licked her lips, placing her hand on her chest.

"I must be feeling things...I better go report to Master." she said.

xxx

Yuna grit her teeth, reloading her guns for the umpteenth time. She and Mest had taken one of the battle paths, leading them toward Gray and Loke. The Ice Wizard and Celestial Spirit had proven themselves many times, forcing her to change armors constantly. But she wasn't about to let her training go to waste. Her guns clicked empty, and she jumped to the side, dodging another ice spear.

"Face it Idol girl, you aren't beating us." Gray said.

"That's what you think! Requip: Sweet Lolita!" she cried. This had been the only armor she hadn't used against them yet. She twirled her scythe in her hands, aiming it at the two young men. Mest stood behind her, eyes drifting between the two. She jumped forward, swinging her scythe at the two. They jumped back, avoiding the attack.

"Ice Make: Floor!" Gray chanted, placing his hands on the ground. Yuna grit her teeth, her feet having been frozen to the ground. Loke jumped at her, slamming his fist into her chest. She cried in pain, slamming into the ground, scythe flying out of her hand.

"Quick Gray, get him!" Loke said, the ice mage nodded, racing toward Mest, holding an Ice sword above his head. He slammed it into Mest, sending him flying back into a rock. He groaned in pain, passing out from the attack.

"That's all she wrote. Give up Yuna, or else we won't go easy on you." he said, pointing the tip of the sword at the white haired idol. She grit her teeth, her face turning into a grin. Her body glowed brightly as she expelled her magic outward. She stood up, grabbing her scythe from the ground. She twirled it around her hand, resting it on her shoulder.

"There's no way I'm giving up. Mest may be down, but I'm not giving in, I'll make him an S-class wizard." she said. Loke flashed behind her, slamming his light coated fist into her head. Her scythe fell to the ground as she fell unconscious. He sighed with relief, the gate to the next area opening up.

"Man, that was a lot harder than I was expecting. I didn't think she would be that strong." he said, glancing at the Ice mage.

"She's been training with Erza, what do you expect? Let's get out of here, before they wake up." Gray said, walking toward the exit. Loke looked back at the two mages, a frown on his face.

"You know...I find something really weird about Mest. He's supposed to be really strong, but he lost rather fast." He said.

"Yeah, now that you mention it he did go down really quick. He got a lot farther last year."

"That begs the question, who did he have as a partner last year? Every time I think about it, I just come up with a blank."

"Same here...I don't think it's selective memory either...hmm."

Yuna groaned, her eyes fluttering open. She sat up, holding her head in pain. She looked around, eyes widening. Gray and Loke were gone, which meant she had been defeated. She grit her teeth, slamming her hand into the ground.

"Dammit...I couldn't beat them. I'm such a loser!"

"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself."

She looked up, seeing Mest standing before her. He held his hand out, helping her to her feet.

"I failed you Mest...we were supposed to make it to the next round, but I wasn't strong enough."

"Nah, that isn't it. It just wasn't meant to be...I wasn't giving it my all...but you, you've grown strong since you joined Fairy Tail. It's kind of a shame not to see you on stage anymore." he said. She blushed, brushing her hair out of her face.

"Yeah, I still enjoy singing, but being in a guild is more fun than that. Still, I trained so hard only to loose...it shows just how much I have to learn." she said. She requipped out of her Lolita armor, changing back to her normal attire.

"Well, I guess we should go to the bast camp...although there is something else that caught my attention. Master Makarov said that this place is special right? Any reason why?" he asked.

"Um...isn't it because Mavis Vermillion's grave is here? She's the first master so this would be a special place."

"I would have thought so too. But Tenrou Island is a special place, it can't be located on any map. No matter what kind of magic you use, that girl was really special, which means Fairy Tail might be hiding a secret. Wanna take a look around?" he asked, a grin on his face.

"I don't know if we can do that...I mean what if we get in trouble?" she asked.

"I doubt they would mind. Only Fairy Tail members can be here, and as far as we know, we're Fairy Tail members. Come on, I saw some pretty flowers on the way here." he said, walking out of the cavern. She sighed, running to catch up to him.

"I guess a little look isn't so bad."

xxx

"Jesus Shit, son of a bitch!" Aiden cried, as he slammed his flaming fist into a giant creature, sending it flying back. After leaving the cavern, he and Wendy had wondered through the woods trying to find the next area. Sadly the wild life seemed to be rather interested in them as well. The large creature ran off, finally giving them some breathing room. He wiped some sweat from his forehead, panting a bit.

"Man, this heat is really troublesome isn't it?" he asked, glancing at his girlfriend. She gave him a nod, kneeling in front of some flowers. They were pink in color, and seemed to glow a bit.

"Aren't they pretty?" she asked.

"Yes, but we can't dawdle anymore." he said.

She nodded, running up the path, catching up with him. She placed her hands behind her back, the soft breeze had picked up, cooling them off a bit. She had actually put her dress back on, not wanting to keep walking around in her swimsuit. Thankfully they had found a stream earlier, and they had taken a quick bath to cool off.

The two of them arrived at the designated spot, finding a few others there. Natsu seemed to be sitting on his own, his head in his hands. Cana and Lucy were talking too each other, while Gajeel and Levy sat on a stone shelf above them, the Iron Dragon didn't look too happy. Lucy looked up, a smile on her face.

"Hey you two, glad to see you made it." she said.

"Hey guys, how were your battles?" he asked.

"They were pretty challenging. Natsu and I went up against Gildarts, he was a total monster!" Happy said, glancing at the brooding teen.

"Me and Lucy fought Freed and Bixlow, they weren't as tough as we thought." Cana said, a smirk on her face.

"What about you two? You don't seem too happy." Aiden said, glancing at Levy and Gajeel.

"We got a Serenity Path. It was smooth sailing for us." Levy said.

"Easy for you too say, I wanted to kick someones ass!" Gajeel growled in anger.

"Who did you two end up fighting?" Lucy asked, noticing the scratches and cuts on their skin. Even though Wendy had healing magic, she hadn't been able to heal all their injuries yet.

"We fought Yamato, and she did not go easy on us." he said.

"Whoa, you kids fought an S-class?" Gajeel asked. Aiden smirked, his fist bursting into flames.

"Hell yeah, and it was totally awesome. Yamato went full force, she even went into God Force, but our joint attack too her down without much issue. I've got to say, I've gained a lot of respect for her. She definitely lives up to her name." he said.

"Sup chumps!" Phoebe cried, entering the clearing. Iona walked in after her, still wearing her orange swimsuit. She had tied her hair into a ponytail, and was covered in a light sheen of sweat, though she was fanning herself with a fancy paper fan.

"Phoebs, what's good? Did you fight anyone?" Aiden asked, holding his fist out. The girl bumped fists with him, wrapping her arm around his shoulder.

"Let me tell you a quick story. So there we were, walking down path F, when we run into...nothing. We got a fucking Serenity path and it was boring as shit." she said.

"I do admit it wasn't my best choice, but I thought saving our magic for a later event would be worthwhile. After all we haven't a clue about our next challenge." Iona replied.

"Oh, well I guess that's okay. Wonder if Yuna made it out alright?" Aiden said.

"No, she didn't. Those two are sleeping." Gray said, as he and Loke emerged from the forest.

"So, you got a battle path then?" Lucy asked.

"Mhmm...I have to admit, that Idol is pretty strong, and really cute." Loke said, a grin on his face. He chuckled dryly from the glare Aiden was giving him.

"Hmm...alright, you two are here...wait where are Juvia and Lisanna?" Wendy asked.

"No clue...probably still fighting." Lucy theorized.

"Ah, you're all here...very well...you all did great on reaching this far." Makarov said, appearing next to the teams.

"Wait...so if your here that means everyone else failed?" Phoebe asked.

"Don't sell us short yet little girl. We're still kickin!"

The Sudden arrival of Elfman and Evergreen startled them all, as the man's booming voice echoed through the woods.

"You guys look like a train hit you...who the hell did you fight?" Aiden said.

"Um...we got Mira's path..and she almost wrecked us, but thanks to my quick thinking, we were able to beat her." Evergreen said, a grin on her face.

"Really? How did you do that?" Lucy asked curiously.

"Uh...A real man doesn't discuss what happens in private." Elfman said, dismissing the question.

"Well, it seems as if you have all passed the test. Three teams have been eliminated. Sadly, Erza was the one who fought Juvia and Lisanna and they didn't make it past her. With that being said, everyone here will now begin the second phase of the exam." Makarov said, catching their attention. The man turned to face them, a smile on his face.

"You're next task will be finding the grave of the first master, Mavis Vermillion. If you do that, you will be given your next task." he said.

"Is that all? Come on Gramps that's too easy." Natsu said, clenching his fist. The man sighed, shaking his head.

"You've got six hours to find it, those that don't make it, fail the exam. Is that enough of a challenge for you?" he asked.

"Alright, so we have to find the grave before sundown, simple enough...we aren't going to lose!" Aiden said firmly. Natsu chuckled, glancing at all of the mages standing before him.

"Okay, Cana, Gray, Iona, Aiden, Elfman, Levy, only one of us will become S-class, and it's going to be me!" he exclaimed.

"Ha, I'm not going to get beaten by a wimp like you." Gray said firmly.

"Challenge accepted, we already beat my big sis...there's no way we're loosing to you!" Elfman replied.

"We're gonna fight tooth and nail for this Natsu, so don't start crying when I get handed that title!" Aiden said.

"Hehe, see you there. Come on Happy!" he cried, racing into the woods.

"Let's go Wendy, maybe if we find a good tree we can etch our names on it." Aiden said, running in the opposite direction. The girl waved at her friends, following after her boyfriend. Makarov watched them ago, a smile on his face.

"This is certainly going to be an interesting exam, that's for sure." he said firmly.

xxx

"There, we're slowly approaching Tenrou Island."

Ever since that premonition, Carla had been uneasy. She didn't voice her concerns to Wendy, knowing full well that her friend would worry. The last thing she wanted was for Aiden to drop out of the exam for a silly vision. She just couldn't shake the feeling of despair that she had gotten. She held the map tightly in her hand, her amber eyes focused on the island.

"Carla, are you sure it's okay to be here?" Pantherlily asked, glancing over at the white haired girl. Unlike her, he couldn't go into his battle form for long periods of time. He had wanted to get an armlet that would allow him to keep his transformation, but he hadn't been able to find one. She nodded, tearing her eyes away from the odd looking island.

"I'm sure the master won't mind. We're not here to interfere anyway...it's just...I can't shake that feeling." she said.

"Could it be your clairvoyance?" he asked.

"It might be...it's just..something that Mest said left me unsettled. To my knowledge, Mystogan was a very secretive man, so him having a pupil makes absolutely no sense. Yuna bought it easily since she didn't know him that long, but I'm sure Aiden know's he's lying."

"So, you don't believe Mest even knew Mystogan?" Pantherlily asked.

"I don't...he would always put people asleep when he was around, most likely to protect his identity." she replied.

"Hmm...that does sound a lot like my prince. It does make sense, he said he traveled alone for most of his journey in this world. He wouldn't have a need to get an apprentice."

The two exceeds touched down on the sand, allowing their wings to disappear. Carla placed her map in her pack, panting a bit due to the heat. She looked around, finding a path not far from where they were. She took a whiff of the air, catching the scents of her friends. She decided to follow them.

"There's something else you aren't telling me, is there Carla?" Pantherlily asked, looking up at the girl. She bit her lip, giving him a nod.

"It wasn't just Mest's loyalties that worries me. It's also what I saw in my vision...there was a lot of pain and suffering...Natsu and Cana were crying..and there was that boy too. I'm worried, for my teammates and my friends." she said.

"They'll be fine, they have proven themselves capable of handling anything in their path. Let's just find the Master and speak with him, he needs to know about Mest." he said firmly.

Carla nodded, the uneasy feeling still weighing heavily on her mind. She didn't know why, but she felt a weird twinge in her heart, like something bad was about to happen. She prayed that it wasn't so, but often times, bad things happened to good people, and there was no stopping it.