Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

After two more days of living on the island, Makarov was still no closer to understanding what he had done wrong, or how to improve. He'd considered being stricter on releasing jobs to wizards, but that just seemed like too little too late. It might help, but it wouldn't stop them from being so reckless. Maybe he could take a break from Council-given jobs. Those usually were of a higher difficulty than others, and guilds weren't required to take them for the most part. It was rare that one was sent with an urgent notice, requiring the guild master to actually form a team for the job themselves.

Talking with Zeref about his thoughts had somewhat helped. Surprisingly, the man seemed to understand more about leading than he'd thought. "Restrictive measures are more effective than you might think, Makarov." They'd wandered around the island on occasion, but the two of them had mainly kept their camp at that pond. Right now, they were exploring again, aimlessly walking about the island like Zeref often did, apparently. "I know you think it will not suffice to protect others, but take a moment and consider such measures on a larger scale. Age restrictions on taking jobs, are they not effective at ensuring children do not go out hunting wyverns? More personal restrictions on specifically requiring guilds to take jobs…are they not effective at keeping citizens safe from those wishing to abuse such options for income?"

"Those are restrictions made by a government, not a guild master."

"And you need to consider your position akin to that of a small government, Makarov. Perhaps that will help you see how to lead them." Zeref smiled faintly, turning towards him for a moment. "Do…do you think seeing such a thing would benefit you? Seeing how a government runs, and what measures are in place concerning safety?"

Snorting, Makarov shook his head. "Like I'd get the chance for something like that. I didn't take the path Yajima did, and I'm no where near the Council, or Fiore's royal family, to understand such things." Running a hand through his hair, Makarov glanced at him. "I just figured I'd make do with what I know, and what I already have. Like I said, I can put those restrictions in place, but it just doesn't seem like enough. How can I know they are ready for those jobs? The risks involved…wizards die on S-Class requests often, but our guild was always skilled at keeping those numbers low. Only those strong enough were at that level, but maybe I was blinded by my own feelings towards my team, letting them take one on."

Porlyusica didn't even have magic. She never should have been there in the first place. "Then test them." Makarov frowned at Zeref, who stopped and turned towards him. "There are tools you can use to get a measure of base magic power…since that grows with practice, perhaps it can give you an idea of if they are prepared or not? The rune knights use it to see if a member is strong enough to advance in rank, after all."

"And is that something that the public can just randomly purchase for themselves?"

"Maybe not in Fiore, but I know of a place where you can obtain one."

"I'd rather not take illegal measures for this."

"What is illegal about owning such a device? Just because it isn't sold in common stores, does not mean you are not allowed to have one." Makarov didn't know for sure if it was legal or not, but he figured there was a reason the public couldn't get one. "And even if it is, they aren't harmful. It isn't all that different from a lacrima, requiring a wizard to cast a spell on it to read the amount of magic power used to cast it. The response is to display their rating…fairly simple, and even if someone manages to reconstruct some of the inner workings, the most that it could do is store the spell instead for later use."

"And is base power any indication of skill? Simply having immense magical power does not mean someone knows how to use it." Makarov grimaced, shaking his head. "Still, a test might be possible. I could come up with some way to test if a wizard is ready to be S-Class, though I'd have to find a way to do it in a safe and controlled environment."

"Tenrou Island would likely have the ability to do so."

"And risk them running into you?"

"So long as I know where the test is being held, I can simply avoid those areas. It isn't as if I need the entire island to be at peace." He frowned for a moment. "I could also go to the caves that aren't typically…reachable as well."

"I'm not asking you to injure yourself so you can hide away." Makarov sighed. "Just avoiding the area we're at should be good enough." Then he frowned. "Though, that would require contacting you before the tests begin. I could make a trip out here, claim it was preparations for the test…"

"You could leave the communication lacrima behind as well. I would not mind having discussions with you more frequently, you know." Zeref smiled at him, turning around and heading back towards the pond. "That is actually a far safer way to manage them as well, and you would not need to leave the guild for them. It would also allow me to contact you…should I find myself losing my reason for valuing life again."

"That isn't a bad idea." Makarov smiled at that, glancing at Zeref. "I think we might finally have something more solid in place then. Only S-Class wizards, full teams of them, can take those jobs. And the only way to reach S-Class will be to pass the trial I'll create. Perhaps combat against those that are already S-Class would work…"

"There is more to consider than the ability to fight as well. You'll want a test of intelligence and cunning to match." Zeref tilted his head. "And that is where you can gain variety, to ensure that those taking this trial multiple times are not facing the same tests repeatedly. It would hardly prove anything if they simply memorized the answers."

"Yes, that could work." Makarov was smiling, focusing on Zeref again. "But is it still enough?" His smile faded and Makarov slowed down. Zeref turned towards him, noticing the change in pace and matching it for now.

"Doubting yourself will not inspire confidence in you as a leader."

"But how can I be confident if my decisions end up hurting my guild? Rob is gone because of me. I pushed Goldmine away too now. Porlyusica refuses to work, claiming she hates everyone now. All of it, just because I let them go on that job, thinking they could handle it."

"You were not fully informed of the situation. With what you knew, that team was qualified for the job."

"But I should've looked further into it! Understood more about the job before just sending them away on it."

Looking at him, Zeref sighed. "To do that, you are again speaking of going beyond the tasks of a typical guild master, Makarov. You can't go out and investigate every job request you receive, and the details given to you are rarely so lacking. It is the responsibility of other officials, working under the Magic Council, to investigate the true details of each job before giving it to the guilds. Within such a hierarchy, guilds are usually low-ranking in terms of responsibility involved in distribution of work."

"Well, if someone is doing that work, why can't we help?"

"Because it involves investigation on jobs of all levels, Makarov." Zeref sat down, shaking his head. "Again, I get the feeling you would benefit from truly seeing the inner workings of government, rather than such a small fraction as a guild. In order to be allowed to investigate jobs before they are released, most governments have a series of exams to pass, both written and physical. They are tested with the device I mentioned earlier, and put through trials to see if they can withstand and adapt to a variety of situations - survival, battle, and stealth. The skill level needed is greater than that of even your usual S-Class wizards, because they may discover that the job is above the level of the guilds, and one that needs to be left to the rune knights, so they have the numbers to make up for the strength difference in what they are facing."

"Not all governments are the same—"

"These are the methods used within the Alvarez Empire, Makarov." He'd heard of them before, vaguely. World affairs weren't his problem, so he didn't usually focus that much on them. "I have connections there, if you are interested in seeing what is in place. You can speak with the guilds there, or even visit Vistarion and see how things are lead completely."

"How did you get connections in the government of a country like that?"

"My reputation…is different there, than it is in Ishgar." Zeref shrugged. "That is actually where I brought August. While it takes me a moment to have the right mindset for being in Alvarez, they know of my curse and respect me. It is…different, yet unfortunately, I lose the ability to use it as a place of safety the moment I attempt to connect with anyone there."

"And right now, that isn't the mindset you are trying to have." Zeref nodded, while Makarov turned away. "If I continue to struggle, I may take you up on that offer. However, I don't want to push you back into forgetting the value of life, not if it isn't absolutely necessary."

"Very well. Then will you be content with the measures we've discussed already?"

"I think I have to be. I'll refine the idea of the trial when I return, I think." They finished walking to the pond, and Zeref sat down at the edge again, like usual. There were scattered patches of decay around the area, signs that Zeref had lingered here for a while. "Looking at the sun, I'd say I'm likely returning tomorrow, and staying here one more night."

Zeref was quiet, staring at him as he made that announcement. It would feel strange, leaving. He'd been spending so much time with Zeref, more than he usually spent with a single person. Most of the time, Makarov bounced around, talking to someone for a moment before finding something else to do. With the size of his team, it'd been easy to ignore, to not realize he didn't usually spend time with people one-on-one like this. "It will be lonely again, without you here." Zeref's voice finally spoke, and Makarov turned towards him. "Odd. I did not expect to get used to having another person on this island. Sometimes, I think I sense Mavis nearby…but that isn't the same."

"Like I said, we're friends." Getting up, Makarov walked over to his bag, pulling out the communication lacrima he'd used earlier. "And as friends, you and I are going to stay in contact somehow." He rolled it across the grass, pushing it towards Zeref. It stopped short of him, so Makarov backed away, giving him space to move forward and retrieve it. "If it gets too lonely, feel free to contact me just to talk, alright? I may be a guild master, but I'm not going to be the sort to work so hard that I can't have friends either."

The black wizard was still quiet, staring at him calmly and rolling the lacrima around in his hand. "Again…you still the show the same kindness from when we first met." Zeref stared into the lacrima, letting it grow still for a moment. "You offer to meet with me, risking your life to do so. You attempt to entertain me, despite the pointlessness of such things. You don't fear me for what I've done, and you don't despise me for the darkness that I often portray. And now…again, you offer me more, more than a person such as me deserves."

"You aren't as cruel as you think, Zeref. I've told you before—"

"That I deserve this because I am trying to be decent?" Zeref smiled faintly, and shook his head. "No…that was not the point I was trying to make." He lowered the lacrima, glancing at Makarov. The young guild master frowned at him, uncertain of what to do under that stare. His heart was pounding, and oddly, he felt warmer than he had been feeling during their hike around the island. "Perhaps there is no purpose in making it, though. It…it would be better, I think, to keep this observation to myself, for now." Zeref placed a hand to his chest, that smile lingering as he closed his eyes.

Looking away, Makarov focused intently on the water instead. This was just foolishness, really. He was getting confused over Zeref's words like normal, yet these felt different. All of this time on the island was just confusing him. That had to be it. So, instead of focusing on it, Makarov rose to his feet, stretching out with a grin. "Well, whatever that observation is, it seems to have at least made you happy for a change. Keep it in mind, and maybe try and smile a bit more often for something other than your dark humor, alright?" Zeref blinked at him, and Makarov began tossing his shirt off. "I'd say I'm going to enjoy this last night with a swim again. It's nice out, and the water should be cool and comfortable today, I think."

He got in the water in his underwear, swimming around to the center and letting himself float on his back again. As predicted, the water was just the right temperature, and was cooling him off from the odd heat he'd felt before. Zeref watched him from the shore, that smile lingering on his face as he rolled the lacrima around on the ground. "You know what? I think I might." Makarov shifted, treading water instead so he could face Zeref after his sudden declaration. "This is something I can keep in mind…that might help me remember what I need to in the future, regardless of if you are here or not."

Makarov smiled at him, giving him a thumbs up in return to that. "That's the spirit! Like I said, we're not staying apart forever, Zeref. I've got those trials to run, which means I'll have an excuse to come back to this island more often now. Plus, you can contact me whenever you'd like on the lacrima. I mean, with your curse, it won't be all that different from me actually being here, when you think about it."

"No, it won't." This had to be the longest-lasting smile Makarov had seen on Zeref's face. As much as he liked the idea of lingering on the island, he knew he had to leave. However, it was nice to leave on terms like this. Zeref's curse was running strong, still decaying the island around him, but he didn't look so alone and desperate anymore. The more Makarov stared at it, the more he found he rather enjoyed Zeref's smile for a change. From a man that typically wore dark scowls or neutral expressions, it showed that he had truly found something to be pleased about for a change. Whatever it was, Makarov was glad to have helped him find it, even if he didn't quite know what it was himself.

And we now have the start of the S-Class wizard trials. I don't know why, but it just sorta made sense to me that they weren't always around...canon didn't seem to suggest other guilds had a similar process, so I sorta tried to come up with a reason for Fairy Tail having a unique system in that sense. Either way, I hope you enjoyed. Feel free to review and tell me what you think!