It was sticky out. The kind that came after a light, early spring shower, where the rain was a bit cold, but wouldn't last long, and you were only inconvenienced in the smallest of ways. The rain came and went in the early morning hours, being out before ten, even, but it was watched closely by Haven Dreyar, who paced around the tiny apartment she shared with her boyfriend in slight annoyance, twinged with some anticipation, and mostly, absolute annoyance at the fact said dumb boyfriend couldn't be bothered to get out of bed already.

He'd stayed up the whole night before practically, Locke had, out getting some last minute pointers from his father Gajeel. Haven, who was barred from this meeting, only sneered at him and remarked that maybe he should be meeting with her father, who was actually an S-Class wizard and could provide real, non-failure insight, to which Locke called her bluff and said they'd head on over to the Dreyar place and, yeah, no fucking way.

So she was already in bed when he crawled into it sometime after midnight, her griping a bit over the late hour, but Locke was snoring within minutes.

Which bugged the fuck outta her.

Why wasn't he as nervous as her?

Or as hyped up?

Concerned?

Locke's easy going attitude always bothered her, but hell, it fully ticked her off then.

Everything always worked out until it didn't.

After waiting for so long, being delayed for so long, Haven was beyond elated for the second half of the S-Class trials to commence. She wasn't a participant. No. She didn't imagine she'd ever be, honestly. But Locke was. And once he scorched his dumb competition, then they would leave Magnolia together for once, to hopefully assist in some Bosco rebel shit. Haven wasn't really sure what was awaiting them, but they were going together and that's all that mattered.

Assuming he took this seriously and didn't fuck it up.

Locke wasn't known for fucking things up, but Haven didn't trust such important tasks with anyone other than herself.

"I made," she finally came to shake (more like shove) the man awake, glaring down at him as she said, "you breakfast. Come eat."

Locke only moaned though, blinking at her sleepily as he said, "How 'bout somethin' better than breakfast? Send me on my way well- Ow, Haven."

She slugged him, as he'd sat up with a yawn, to which he responded by shoving her, causing her to stumble backwards over the stack of magical tomes that set beside the bed, and then he was glaring down at her with the same ferociousness he was glaring up.

But Haven wasn't mad about being pushed.

Oh, no.

He'd suffer for that later.

"You're not," Haven growled back at him, "taking this seriously enough! Everything hinges on this. Everything. And you're sleeping late, you stayed out all night, and-"

"Are you okay?" Locke was moving to get up then, but only so he could drag her to her feet as well. "I'm sorry. Here-"

"You have to eat," she was continuing to grip as he literally pulled her up before patting at the top of her head in concern. Still, Haven didn't relent in her glares. "If you don't eat, then you'll be hungry, and then-"

"Well, you did make it, so I guess I better-"

"Forget about me!" She pounded one hand into another. "Forget about everyone. The only thing you gotta worry about is conquering that island. If you fuck this up, Locke, I'll… I'll do something."

"Find something new to obsess over?"

"Don't," she ordered simply then, a finger in his face, making him reconsider ever allowing her to move in to begin with, "fuck this up, Locke. Do you hear me?"

He only made a face before grabbing her finger and tossing it away. Yawning again, he walked around her then as he questioned, "Did you make waffles?"

"Locke-"

"Aw, you're so sweet," he congratulated when he found them in the kitchen. "Have. Making my favorite. You really think of me?"

Sulking, she trailed after him. "Did you even do any last minute training? Or anything? Wtih your dad?"

"Yep."

"Are you...going to tell me about it?"

"Nope."

"Locke-"

"Haven," he found himself frowning finally as she joined him in the kitchen. Covering his waffles in copious amounts of generous syrup, he told her simply, "I am already internally freaking out, alright? This has been my dream since I was a little boy. I'm trying to keep it in check. I have to keep it in check. But you are freaking me out. So just cool it, okay?"

She stood beside him then, her own stomach growling a bit before giving in and snagging the plate she made herself from the counter as well.

They ate how they liked to, with their backs up against the couch and the plates on the coffee table before them. For all Locke had said about not being hungry, he was very busy devouring his meal while Haven only picked at her own.

"I just," Haven muttered softly, "am nervous. That's all."

"Don't be," he told her. "Things always have a way of-"

"Don't," she retorted, "finish that sentence, Locke. I mean it."

He grinned sheepishly at her then before saying, "I can only do the best I can do. And I know you're just nervous and all, but c'mon, Haven, don't lie; you're excited too."

Of course she was.

But her excitement always bled into torturing those around her. It was how she burned off excess energy.

"We should get down to the hall soon," she went on instead of answering. "Before-"

"The ship from Hargeon doesn't leave until sundown," he pointed out. "And Dad said I shouldn't spend the day training or exerting myself. Just try and not panic. I need to conserve all that for the trials."

Nodding some, she glanced over from her waffles then with a bit of a raised eyebrow as she said, "I mean...if we really do have hours...then I guess we could fuck."

Locke made a face, at first at her bluntness, but then was quick to mask it some by shrugging. "I mean, after such a big breakfast...and I'm only half way done-"

But Haven called his bluff with a shrug and a, "Never mind then," which meant Locke had to quickly counter it before the opportunity passed them by.

"One sec," he assured her before literally gulping down the rest of his stack of waffles in one massive, gross bite.

"That," the woman told him simply, "was the least attractive thing I've ever seen you do."

As Locke reached for his glass of orange juice on the table, he managed to choke enough down before assuring her, "It was really ill-advised. Don't do that."

"Well, I'm not an idiot, so don't worry."

It was nearing two in the afternoon when the pair found themselves arriving at the guildhall, where Lcoke's parents were to wish him well, Levy kind of embarrassing him a bit (or at least Haven felt embarrassed for him; Locke was too much of a dope for that emotion), while his father continued to riddle him with a different ideas and strategies.

"Ain't ever see no fuckin' medic do no good on no fuckin' trails," Gajeel grumbled to which his wife frowned with a retort of her own.

"And I've never seen so many double negatives at once," she told him as Locke only ran a hand through his hair and Pantherlily snickered.

Haven, at the man's side, rolled her eyes before saying, "It's not like you know a lot about doing good on the trials anyways."

And it was easy enough for the slayer's eyes to become dark as they clashed with Haven's, but Locke tossed an arm over her shoulders and led her away, thanking his parents for their well wishes over his shoulder.

"I really don't need you and my dad fighting to hang over my head while I'm gone, Haven," Locke complained as he led her away from his parents table, but she was already focused in on her next victim.

Well, victim was a strong word.

Innocent bystander was far more Marin's title these days. Not that she was aware of her sister's potential motives in that moment. Oh, no. She was actually rather upset for reasons that had nothing to do with Haven.

And the week had started so strong…

Erza was even more excited about this upcoming set of trials, where she got to see the prowess of the future, she claimed, and Marin had spent hours assisting the woman in setting up that year. From going over plans and challenges, Marin was getting a front row seat to something she was so very distant from, it felt more like observation than active participation.

"One day," Erza told her more than once, "I imagine it will be you that I will be pushing to their wits end on the island."

And though Marin internally was shaking her head at this statement, she would only fall silent now, in what Erza took as deep consideration. She couldn't imagine ever being ranked among the elite, Marin couldn't, no matter how many times she tussled with Natsu or the Master's other high ranking friends. She was rather comfortable in her place behind the bar. Only the most important of circumstances could drag her away from it.

"I wanted to be happy for you, Locke, and everyone, honestly. The only reason I came in today was to wish you all well," Marin told him softly when, upon approaching where the teen was busing a table, he was quick to question what was eating at her. The girl never did wear her emotions well. Unloading on him, she looked on the verge of tears as she said, "But I just really need to get out of here. I am getting out of here. Master told me that I could take the few days you all will be gone on the trials as a vacation of my own, but I wasn't going to go through with it; not until I found out about… And now I have no choice, but to-"

"Hold on, hold on." Locke held up a hand with a frown. "Found out about what, Marin?"

"O-Oh, I thought you knew. Kai-"

"I forgot to tell him." Haven slid over to side with her sister then, patting sympathetically at the girl's arm as she addressed her boyfriend then and he looked on suspiciously. "Kai and his boyfriend broke up. Kai's real broken up, but, you know, what can you do? He's stuck in that guild. So Marin here, what a trooper, she's gonna go visit him-"

"It's terrible," Marin remarked with teary eyes. "He's heartbroken."

Locke's tone was one of pity then as he assured her, "Well, tell him I'm sorry. I didn't know. They really seemed to like one another."

"They loved," Marin corrected, "one another."

"Oh, Marin, don't be so dramatic." Haven shook her head. "Who stays with the first person they fall in love with? Much less date?"

"Haven," Locke warned, but she only made a face.

"You dated other people before me," she retorted.

"I didn't love anyone as much," he pointed out. "And you didn't date other people before me. Or love anyone. At all."

"Don't be so presumptuous."

"Haven-"

"I," she interrupted him with a frown. "am trying to comfort my little sister here, Locke."

"I don't need to be comforted." Marin didn't shake Haven off. "I'm just worried about Kai."

"Breakups are hard," Locke assured her then with a nod. "And he'll probably feel loads better about it with you there."

"Please, Marin's never broken up with someone before." When Haven felt her younger sister's eyes, the blonde only insisted, "You haven't. I told you, that's why I'm going to accompany you-"

"You," her boyfriend retorted, "have never done it either. You just run away and- Wait. What did you just say?"

"Oh. Yeah." Haven tossed a hand at him. "I'm going with Marin down to the other coast to, uh, go give Kai a pep talk and all that."

"Why didn't you tell me about this?"

"It happened so fast, Locke."

"Marin, when did you find out that Kai and Lance broke up?" Locke asked then.

"W-Well, a few days ago-"

"Haven," he started again before the girl could finish, but Haven's groan out voiced him.

"Locke," she complained right back. "You're going out of town for a few days. What did you want me to do? Sit around the apartment and miss you?"

"I mean, it would be nice."

"Marin is my baby sister." She moved to hug the teen to her then while Marin looked uneasily up at her older sister. "And she and Kai have some sort of weird, psychic connection that creeps me the fuck out, but means if he's in pain, she's in pain. So I have to go and fix this. Duh. Idiot."

Locke only narrowed his eyes "I don't know what you're really doing-"

"Being a better person. Like I have been. For months."

"-but it's really fucked that you're using Kai's pain for your own gain."

"Maybe," Haven retorted as she tossed Marin from her then, just so she could go glare up into Locke's dark red eyes, "you could try trusting me, Locke. I'm not going to put myself, or Marin, or Kai, into any danger or a situation I can't handle."

"I don't like this preface."

"You just need to worry about the trials, okay?" And her face softened then as she reached a hand up to pat at his cheek. "And I'll go worry about fixing the two of them. C'mon, Locke, don't you trust me? At all?"

But he only leaned down then, keeping her gaze as he remarked simply, "No."

Sour now, Haven replied, "Well, that's shitty of you."

"If you're going to mock or ridicule either one of them-"

"Have you gotten to know the new Haven at all? I'd never do that." Openly. Or to Locke in private. "I'm going to go be the older sister I nearly missed out on being and you go become S-Class. Alright?"

And he was close enough now that it was easy for Haven to lean up only slightly, stealing a quick kiss. When Locke looked back to where Marin ahd been, he found her back busy busing the table and only sighed.

"When does your first train for the coast leave?" he asked.

"Really soon after my shift," she told him as she was moving on then. Over her shoulder, she added, "So, about an hour?"

"What?" He turned his glare back onto Haven. "You're not even going to see me off at Hargeon?"

"You're a big boy, Locke. And I'm not your fucking mother. Weirdo."

"Haven-"

"I'll go deal with my shit," she told him simply then, definitively, and any argument was dead before it even escaped his lips, "and you go take care of yours. Alright?"

He had no choice, but to agree though he was clearly pissed at her, when they made the walk together back to the apartment, each to fetch their packs, but with different directions.

Haven kissed him goodbye at the train station, which was completely perverse, considering she should be doing so on the docks, in a few more hours, but Locke played along well enough.

"I love you," he told her, and he meant it, he always did, but she could still hear the slight anger in his voice. "Haven. And I'll see you when I get back."

"No," she corrected with a look as they separated. "I'll see you when you're S-Class. If you're not, then don't come home."

"Haven-"

"I'm kidding. Mostly," she assured him with a roll of her eyes as Locke was then moving to pat Marin on the head and promise her that things would work out for Kai, with or without his boyfriend. Haven only crossed her arms though, watching for a moment before saying, "I love you too, Locke."

And he nodded his head, the one left standing again, alone, when she and her sister disappeared onto a train. Alone. He knew that she was right though, Haven was, in her own way.

He had his duty laid before him now and there was only one way to come back; as S-Class.

But Haven seemed less worried now, on the train with her sister, than she had been for the entire morning. They seemed to have changed positions, a transfer of energy perhaps, with her leaving Locke to worry and dread what was laid before him while Haven seemed rather carefree and, maybe, even a bit...excited?

Marin knew the latter expression from her sister was never good and, as they boarded their second train that afternoon, she questioned, "Are you not even worried, Haven? About Locke?"

"He'll be fine." She did reach up then though, to toy with the necklace he'd bought for her that last winter,. "He can literally raise the dead. Practically. As long as he keeps an eye on his magic, paces himself, then I know he'll be fine."

Nodding a bit, Marin offered, "You're confident in him."

"Enough so that I didn't even try and manipulate you into innocuously tricking Erza and insuring it was all rigged in his favor." Her eyes were alight though, as she looked into her sister's similar ones. "Or did I?"

Stricken, the younger woman asked through a breathless whisper, "Did you?"

"No." And Haven seemed disappointed now, falling into her seat,. "But damn, I should have."

She did seem rather tense though, Haven did, around sundown, and spent more time staring out the window than saying much at all. Not that it mattered. Marin had her own stressful situation working her into a tizzy.

Both her parents, who she'd gone to the day before, to lament to, maybe, just a bit, as Erza was so busy and she didn't want to bog down by mentioning the breakup (it had been Kai's tearful, selfless request), cautioned her a bit about getting involved.

"Kai's a damn man," Laxus had grumbled when Marin came by with lunch from the bar for the man and his wife. While Mirajane made a face at him, the slayer only sighed some and said, "If he's hurting, Mar, I doubt you'll make him feel much better. Love hurt is a different kinda hurt."

"But if he asked for you," Mirajane assured her, "then you go. He's your best friend. I just don't know about you going alone, is all."

Marin had nodded down at her plate before saying, "Trains make me a little sick now, because of, well… And I was nervous about it too, but luckily, Haven offered to go with me."

"Haven," the girl's father remarked dryly, "offered to go with you. To see Kai. Who is going to be a wreck about his relationship." At Marin's nod, he frowned more and questioned, "And you agreed?"

"Laxus-"

"Mira, you know as well as me that-"

"Haven's going to be missing Locke for a few days," his wife pointed out. "She'll be uptight and antsy if she sits around Magnolia the whole time. Or too unfocused to go out on a job. I'm sure she won't admit it, but she's probably just going so she can get away too. Clear her mind and keep busy without being too far, if Locke gets back early."

Laxus only shook his head though, keep the rest of his thoughts to himself as, clearly, the women didn't want to hear them. It was just as well, anyways. Though Haven had started staying on her own at she and Locke's place, when he was out, she was still prone to occasionally crashing with Marina and with her away, well…

It's not that Laxus and Mirajane minded Haven staying over with them. At all. But, uh, maybe it was a special night of the week that would fall on those few days.

Maybe.

Haven avoided this unfortunate knowledge, however, as she journeyed with her sister to the opposite coast, which was beautiful and glittered, the entire city did, with sparkling lights to illuminate the night sky. If Haven were the kind of person to care about such a thing, she might have called it beautiful.

She was, however, not.

"Kai said to meet him at his house," Marin sighed as they left the station, their packs slung over their backs. Haven hadn't ever traveled, not really, with her little sister, especially not since she started training, and was rather impressed with how well she fought her motion sickness. "It's down by the beach. Come on."

She let Marin take the lead, Haven did, even though she was half starved and was tempted to diverge their path a bit, just to grab some food. But Marin was clearly worried and upset and the sooner she could get to Kai, the better.

He was sitting outside his house, actually, out on the front porch step with someone, but saw the women as they approached and was quick to jump up.

"Oh, Kai." Marin came to toss her arms around him immediately, feeling tearful all over again. "Are you alright?"

But he was laughing, Kai was, as he hugged her tightly back. "Yeah, Marin, I'm-"

"I can't believe," she went on as, slowly, he released her and she took to shaking her head some, "that you guys broke up. Are yiou… Are you still going to stay here? All alone? On the coast? Because if you need a place to stay-"

"Marin." Kai looked to Haven then. "I, uh, might have some good news. Well, actually, yeah, I do. Great news. Lance and I didn't break up! Surprise!"

Marin didn't jump along with him, in excitement, like the guy had hoped. She only stood there, her tears drying in her eyes while she stared at him in confusion.

"Kai, what?"

"Lance and I are as tight as ever," he assured her. "But I knew the only way to get you down here-"

"Was to lie to me? Kai, are you insane?" And it was there, inside of the girl now. The woman. She'd become a dragon slayer, was the daughter of one, but oh, the she-devil resided just as much inside of her. Buried far more, but still present. "Why would you do that? I've been worried sick about- I got sick, on that stupid train, just to get here- Haven missed seeing Locke off today. Just for you. What-"

"Haven asked me to do it!" Kai had never had Marin mad at him. Annoyed, maybe, pissy, constantly, but her tone felt far too much like Erza then for his taste. "She practically made me do it! You think I wanted to do it? Lie to you?"

"Why would Haven-"

"Your friend," the blonde told her sister simply, "owed me a favor. Isn't that right, Kai?"

"Heh." He scratched at the back of his head. "One that doesn't need to really be mentioned, but-"

"What are you two talking about?" Marin never had rightly be keyed into everything that went down on the gauntlet (or following), and only stared between the two of them then. "Why-"

"For the record," came another voice, from over at the porch, where finally the other person seated there stood, just to stomp out the cigarette they'd been smoking before, "I had nothing to do with lying to you, Marin. At all."

She'd been so focused in on Kai before, Marin had, that she didn't even consider the other man sitting beside him. But now, hearing his voice, she didn't even need him to knock the hood off his head to know exactly who stood before her.

"Ravan," she whispered as he stared blankly over at her. Taking a step away from Kai then, Marin looked to Haven with a dark gaze now. "What exactly is going on?"

But her older sister only grinned, that sickening one that had been knocked off her face for far too many months. Over a year, maybe. Death had a way of doing that.

It was back now though and if everything went as planned, Haven never intended on letting it slip away again.

"Just some unfinished business," Haven assured her sister while the teen glare then, at all three of them.

Because, as she eyed the look Haven and Ravan shared then, Marin knew it was never that easy.

Not between the two of them.

Five chapters? And a separate, one-shot epilogue? Anyone?