Hey guys, chapter 18, coming right up! Sorry for not making it on Christmas, private stuff got in my way. I'll make it up to you.
This chapter is slightly slow and much shorter than others, but that's because I wanted to keep this part of the arc in one place, without stretching it out.
I hope you enjoy it!
"S-Class Wizard Exam?!" repeated Lucy in shock. She quickly looked over at Gray, who had a confident smirk glued to his face. "Is that what all of this has been about?"
"Yeah." he said. "Every year, Master chooses a few of us to take a part in the exam. One S-Class Wizard per year."
"That would explain all this chaos." remarked Carla from Wendy's arms.
The guild was now once again loud from cheering.
"Hurry up and tell us, Master!"
"Don't keep us waiting!"
Erza's face twitched, and Lucy immediately knew what was about to happen.
"Silence!" roared the knight, successfully muting the hall. "Behave yourselves!"
"Master isn't finished talking." added Gildarts, his tone not leaving much room for discussion.
Makarov looked at his examiners with gratitude and cleared his throat. The guild awaited the names in anticipation.
"This year's Exam will take place on Tenrou Island! The sacred ground of our guild!"
"This year?" asked Lucy.
"It's different each year." explained Warren. "You never know what you're up against until you get there."
"And it's always hard." added Alzack.
"After all, those who pass become S-Class!" said Elfman with pride.
"For the past year" roared Makarov "I have been observing you. Your hearts, your resolves, your desire to follow down the path of magic! I have taken them all under consideration! I have considered these individuals to be a cut above the rest!"
"Gray Fullbuster!"
Gray punched his left hand and grinned wickedly, icy mist emitting from his body.
"As expected." smirked Elfman at his rival.
"Can't say I'm surprised, either." added Lucy with a small smile, proud of her teammate.
"Juvia Lockser!"
Juvia blinked. "Me?" she asked in disbelief.
"Elfman Strauss!"
The man roared and threw his hands into the air, those around him covering their ears, although, nobody had the heart to scold him. This time.
"Sis! I'll be joining you soon!" he exclaimed.
Mirajane facepalmed on the stage, with Erza chuckling at her embarrassment.
"Cana Alberona!"
Cana didn't say a word. She simply lowered her head and sighed, a sight very unnatural when it came to her usual carefree, cheerful personality.
"Freed Justine!"
"I shall follow in Laxus' footsteps." stated proudly Freed, with Bickslow patting him on the shoulder in joy.
"Lecy McGarden!"
"Finally...my turn." whispered to herself Levy.
"Mest Gryder!"
A man with very short, black hair raised his head proudly, his eyes grateful for Makarov's choice.
"Man, he was so close last year." whistled Warren.
"I wonder if he'll take it this year." wondered someone at the back of the crowd.
"But Gray's there. And Elfman!"
"This year is going to be packed!"
"Wait a second." frowned Jet. "Master nominated seven people. There's still one more."
Admitting that he was right, the guild looked curiously at Makarov. The elder looked over the crowd and closed his eyes. Erza looked at him, her brow furrowed. Why was he hesitating?
Shortly, the guild started to get impatient.
"Just tell us already, Master!"
"It better be me." said Gajeel, gritting his teeth that he hasn't been chosen already.
After what felt like a minute, Makarov slowly opened his eyes, before speaking out.
"Natsu Dragneel!"
The guild went quiet. Everyone, including the S-Class mages looked at Makarov, shocked. Erza stared at the back of his head in disbelief. He must've known the consequences of this choice.
"Him?" asked Macao, his eyes slowly shifting at the Dragon Slayer. "But..."
Whispers of disapproval and disappointment echoed across the hall. Lucy looked around the guild unsettled, the sudden change of the atmosphere creeping her out.
"Gramps sure knows how to play on people's nerves." hummed Gray under his nose. He appeared to be somewhat expecting this outcome.
Gajeel clicked his tongue in irritation. "Salamander gets chosen, but not me? What a load of crap."
"Explain, Master!" yelled Droy. "How come he gets chosen?!"
"This has to be a mistake!"
The voices were slowly becoming louder. Sensing an upcoming conflict, Erza bit her lip and opened her mouth, ready to speak out.
"Don't." she heard, with Laxus cutting her off. "Old man knows what he's doing. Leave it to him."
"But.."
"Even if you try to convince them, the only thing that will do is piss them off even more. They are scared of him more than you, believe it or not. He wouldn't have said that if he didn't know what to do next. Let him explain, and if it's still needed, step in once he's done."
"I am well aware of that." hissed Erza. "But still-"
"Wait." said Gildarts and gently grabbed her arm. Not even a moment later, Erza winced and forcefully shook her arm out of his grip, leaving him stunned.
"Oh. Forgive me." he mumbled.
"No, I am the one who should apologize. That was uncalled for." smiled gently the redhead, her hand gently shaking.
"I refuse."
Erza's head snapped to the side, her eyes growing wide. So did most of the guild, as they all looked at Natsu, who simply stood behind Gray, his eyes glued to Makarov's. Gildarts kept his eyes locked on Erza's arms for just a while longer, before also shifting his gaze away, his eyes unintentionally glaring daggers at the Slayer.
"Excuse me?" asked him Makarov, almost as if trying to confirm he heard the boy right.
"I refuse. I won't take a part in this exam." repeated Natsu. "I don't care about the rank, and there are people who'd been here much longer than me. So, I refuse."
Makarov appeared to consider Natsu's decision. Everyone stared at Natsu in awe, unsure what to do. They got what they wanted, but hearing him say it by himself made them unsure how to feel about it.
The Master exhaled through his nose. "I see." he said after a long pause. "Refusal rejected."
Natsu's mouth opened on its own. "What?"
"I said, I refuse your refusal." repeated Makarov. "You will take a part in this exam. Objection is not an option."
Now it was Natsu's turn to be speechless.
"Since we're all already familiar with the topic," roared Makarov, kindly suggesting his kids stayed quiet and let him talk "allow me to expand a certain matter that I wished to speak out on for the past month, but kept to myself."
Erza's eyes narrowed. Has Master been hiding something from them? From her?
"When I first brought this young man to our guild" continued the Master, pointing at Natsu with his hand "I told you he joined us on special terms. And I wasn't lying. However, those terms were not dictated by me, but the Council itself. For his commitment in the incident from a month ago, he was released from prison and given under our custody."
The guild listened in silence. This was not a bit they were familiar with.
"The conditions we've been given are inhuman, to say the least. While they did try to make it look like they gave him a second chance, in reality they want us to keep him locked in a cage, like some sort of a wild animal."
The members started to talk amongst each other. While their voices were less hostile, they still expressed disapproval.
"I refuse to bind a young, talented, but slightly misguided man in chains, just because someone of higher authority is too scared to give him a chance." exclaimed Makarov, once again silencing the guild. "He has both the power and the wits that are worthy of becoming an S-Class Mage. The only thing he lacks, is guidance. And guidance he will receive."
"Master." called Freed, with his hand raised.
"Yes, Freed?"
"Personally, I have no objections against his participation." said Freed. "But, don't you think it is a little bit too early? This is simply not fair to those, who have been here for years. I think giving him a chance next year will be the more effective outcome, as not only will he be able to prove himself to us and the Council during the upcoming months, he will also me more eligible to obtain the rank."
"I've got nothing against the guy anymore." added Macao from back of the crowd. "But Freed is right. It's way too soon."
"I am well aware of those facts." replied Makarov. "Which is why this exam will have two special alterations. First of all, Natsu's exam will be different from yours. He will be given strict instructions that will separate him from the rest of you. If you're worried about his part being easier, trust me, you couldn't be more mistaken. Second, unlike in previous years, there will be more than one S-Class coming out of this exam. Each participant will be allowed to pick a partner, who will aid them in the exam. If both the candidate and partner pass all of the stages, they will be both named S-Class Mages. However, this rule will be applied only if both of you pass the exam. If your partner fails, the candidate will move on on their own. If the candidate fails, both of you get knocked out."
"You gotta be kidding me." choked Jet, unsure whether to be happy or mad.
"I...did not expect that." admitted Gray.
"Have these rules been applied only because of Natsu's participation?" asked Lisanna.
"Partially." said Makarov. "I was already aware of all of your complaints before I even announced the exam. I have also decided to make the exam a little more interesting, therefore, this year I decided to give two people a chance. This exam will test your bonds, teamwork, wits, abilities and how you'll deal with your friends, who will turn into your enemies upon entering the island."
"Damn geezer." smirked Gray under his nose.
Lucy blinked at him. "What?"
"He knew he'd piss the guild off by picking him, so he gave 8 more people a chance as recompensation. This year is going to be crazy."
"Have you ever taken a part in the exams?" she asked him curiously.
"No." he shook his head. "But we've been allowed to watch. It's crazy with 8 people, let alone 16. Old man raised the bar three meters higher."
"There are three rules that must be met to successfully pick a partner." stated Erza. "First, they must be a member of Fairy Tail. Second, they cannot be an S-Class mage. Thirdly, the eight people chosen by Master cannot team up with each other. Your partner must be someone outside of the eight."
"The details of the exam will be revealed on Tenrou Island." said Laxus.
"On top of that, we will be trying to block you from proceeding further." added Mira with a smirk.
"You mean you have to beat Erza and Mira to become S-Class?!" Lucy asked Gray.
"You see why it's so hard now?" threw in Macao.
"Well, I think they'll go easy on us...a little." sweatdropped Gray, not believing his own words.
"Wait a second." gulped Levy. "We?"
Gildarts grinned. "Stop whining. This is the path all the S-Class have gone down. I believe in you all."
"Gildarts will be trying to stop them?!"
"Looking forward to it." smirked Laxus.
"Laxus too?!"
"This exam has officially gone down in history as the most messed up." deadpanned Jet.
"What do you mean?" asked him Wendy.
"Laxus and Gildarts did not take a part in any of the previous exams. It's always been just Erza and Mira." explained Levy. "I'm starting to regret being chosen." she added with a sigh.
"The exam will take place 7 days from now! We shall meet in Hargeon Port at 8 AM. I hope you spend the upcoming week wisely and prepare best to your ability! Dismissed!" announced Makarov and walked off the stage, every single of his moves carefully observed by a frowning Erza. He may have been sneaky, but this time, he left behind too big of a trail.
An hour later
With the emotions finally thinning away, the guild returned to its previous activities, as they now gathered around in large groups.
Gray, Lisanna, Juvia, Wendy, Lucy, Elfman, Freed and Mira sat together by one, big table.
"I still can't believe Master did it." Elfman shook his head .
Mira put down her mug and looked at her brother with an annoyed expression. "Stop whining already. What's done is done, deal with it. Focus on yourself and pray to the gods you don't meet me in the exam. I won't go easy on you, even if you are my brother."
Although he tried his best not to show it, Lucy could see the man was slowly starting to sweat.
"Master mentioned partners." said Wendy. "What did he mean, exactly?"
"Sometimes, the candidates are allowed to pick a partner to help them with the exam." explained Levy. "However, only the chosen ones could obtain the ranks, partners were there purely for support. This year's rules are the first time the rule of one has been broken."
Lucy frowned. "The rule of one?" she repeated.
"That's what we call it." said Gray. "Each year, one person took the rank. Couple years ago, the only S-Class we had was Gildarts. Then Gramps started to host the exams every year, and couple years later we had 5 of them. This year's exam will probably be the toughest yet."
"Sounds like trouble." laughed Wendy.
"He's right, you know." pointed out Freed. "Although most of the candidates are first timers, the competition is probably harder than any other year. And with the partner rule present, this exam will be written down in history."
"Speaking of partners." started Lucy. "Have you guys decided who you'll partner with? "
"I'm going with Bickslow." said Freed.
"How surprising." snorted Mira.
"I don't think I should be here." stated quietly Juvia.
"What are you talking about?" asked her Gray. "You're more than qualified to take a part."
"She's saying that because she wants to be your partner." Lucy poked Gray with her elbow with a smirk.
"True." said Juvia, this time louder. "But I just don't belong here. I'm not cut for it."
"Nonsense." Lisanna shook her head. "Gray is right, you are more than good enough. Tell you what, I'll partner with you."
Juvia blinked. "Excuse me?"
"See? You don't need me as a partner." smiled Gray. "Besides, I've already decided on who I'll team up with."
As soon as he said that, Lucy felt a hand on her shoulder. When she turned around, she was met with a big mess of orange hair smiling down at her.
"Long time no see, everyone." smiled Loke.
"Huh?" choked out Lucy.
"We made a promise last year, that we would partner up if either of us got picked." grinned Gray and fistbumped the spirit. "So this year, we're fulfilling it."
"Sorry, Lucy, but I'll have to cancel our contract for the time being." said Loke. "Don't worry, I'm using my own magic to stay here, so no harm will come to you."
"I'm in your care, partner."
"Don't you worry, I'll carry you to the rank if I have to."
Lucy blinked in confusion. "Selfish, aren't you? Since when were you so buddy-buddy anyway?"
"So, there you have it." Gray ignored Lucy and grinned at Juvia, before extending his hand towards her. "Looks like we'll be fighting each other in a week. I was kinda hoping for a rematch with you."
The bluenette stared at the hand, before smiling a little and taking it. "If it comes to that, may the better one win."
Gray's mouth opened in slight shock, but soon gave in to a proud smile.
"I'll make sure you come out victorious, Juvia!" grinned Lisanna.
"Lisanna..."
"Wait a second, Lisanna!" screamed panicked Elfman. "If you're partnering up with her, who am I going to team up with?!"
"Looks like there's someone who's been sending hateful glares at our table for the past ten minutes now." giggled the girl and pointed at the bar counter. "She's probably mad Freed teamed up with Bickslow."
Elfman looked in the direction, only to be met with Evergreen's stone cold stare drilling a hole in his very soul. He met her eyes for a short moment, before turning back around.
"Well then, looks like I'm passing this exam without a partner."
"I heard that!" she yelled from the counter.
"At least you guys have a chance at passing." smiled nervously Levy. "I'll probably get knocked out in the first ten minutes."
"Yeah, you will." said a voice behind her. She turned around only to meet Gajeel's eyes staring down at her. "Guess I have no choice. I'll team up with you."
"She didn't even ask you, though." stated Pantherlily from behind him.
Gajeel ignored him. "So, what do you say? I'll beat the crap out of anyone who stands in your way."
Levy sighed. "I have no chance. I'm small, and compared to everyone else, I might as well be a kid. I'll lose quickly."
"Keep saying shit like that and you really will fail." Gajeel said while picking her up by the collar.
"Hey, let me go!"
"I'll make you shoot for the stars." said proudly Gajeel.
Jet and Droy simply watched the scene from afar.
"I'd be lying if I said I didn't see that coming." deadpanned Jet. Droy nodded.
"Partner, huh?" muttered Wendy to herself. She looked over her shoulder at a certain someone, who sat at the back of the guild on their own.
"Something wrong, Wendy?" asked her Carla.
The girl shook her head. "No. What about you? You've been quiet for a while now."
"I have a bad feeling about this exam." admitted the Exceed. "I'd like you not to get involved. Could you do that for me?"
Wendy simply laughed nervously in response.
Meanwhile
"What are you hiding from me, Master?"
Makarov arched an eyebrow from behind his cup of tea. He set it down and cleared his throat.
"Nothing at all. What gives you this impression?"
Erza, who was sitting on the other side of his desk took a sip from her own cup as well, before replying. "It's not going to work on me anymore. Please, tell me."
The elder sighed through his nose. "Am I losing my touch?"
"I'd say the opposite, I am becoming better at sensing it."
Makarov laughed and set his tea down on the desk. "Well then. What would you like to know?"
"Everything." responded quickly Erza.
Makarov laughed. "Don't we all?" he asked her.
Not in the mood for jokes, Erza continued to drill a hole in his head, which made the elder uncomfortable. "Right. " he cleared his throat. "What would you like to know first?"
"Why have you chosen Natsu to take the exam?"
Makarov did not reply at first. He leaned back in his chair and gently sighed. "Before I get to that, answer me this, do you feel about this boy?"
The knight blinked. "Pardon?"
"It is obvious to everyone who has eyes, that the two of you have taken liking to each other." smiled mischievously Makarov. "Possibly something more than that."
Heat rose to Erza's cheeks. "Nonsense. We are simply friends and teammates."
"I've heard about your daily trips into the woods." he said with a smirk.
Of course he has. Damn Mira.
"We have been training together for the past two weeks." she explained. "We've decided to do it outside of town to avoid panic and destruction."
"I see." mumbled disappointed Makarov. "Still, you have to feel some sort of a connection to him. You've never been this open to anyone before."
Erza opened her mouth to protest, but nothing came out of her mouth. She slowly closed it and sighed, a small smile forming on her face. "I find it easier to reach out to him, than others. I feel that our relationship is built on understanding each other and trust. I think our experiences may have something to do with it. However, that doesn't mean I put him over the rest of the guild." she added quickly, as if trying to reassure Makarov.
"I never suggested that." said the elder with a smile. Whatever it was that boy did to help her change this much, he was grateful for it. "Well, now that we've taken care of that, let's get back to our previous topic. Tell me, do you think he deserves to be chosen?"
Erza wondered for a moment. She knew that personal feelings had no place in this moment. "No." she replied after a short while. "He may be strong enough, but he lacks most of the requirements necessary to be a successful S-Class Mage."
Makarov chuckled. "I agree."
Erza blinked in confusion. "Then why-"
"Because we have no time to spare." he revealed, cutting her off.
The knight frowned. "Excuse me?"
"I'm most certain it will make more sense once I explain everything properly." said Makarov, before adjusting himself in his seat. "The deal I made with the Council was simple. They release him as a sign of gratitude for saving the entire continent, give him to us, push all of the responsibility along with a strict set of rules and suggestions onto us, with a timelimit of 5 years to make him a normal member of society. That is the official version I've been told. Reality couldn't more any more false."
Erza's hands clenched on their own. "Have they decided to break this agreement?" she asked with concern.
"Not yet." replied shortly Makarov. "They do have plans on how to bypass it, though."
"Has the Council been infiltrated again?"
Makarov couldn't help but laugh at how naive she was. "No, my dear. They're always been this way, even before all of that."
"Then what is the reason of their eagerness?" she asked.
"The deal was sealed during the last hours of Gran Doma's reign as the Chairman. He's always been a strict man, but he could tell right from wrong. He held the whole Council in his grasp, and he always had the last word. Now, the position of Chairman had been put in Sage Org's hands. He's a kind man, who holds our guild in unusual for a Councilor favor. However, when put under enough pressure, he bends. During the last meeting earlier this week, the Elders were once again discussing whether Natsu should be taken away from us or not. Ultimately the voting was in our favor, but it's only a matter of time before we lose. They appear to be desperate to get their hands on him, for reasons I am oblivious of."
"Could it be because of how much more effective he was during the incident with Seven Commandments?" wondered Erza.
Makarov seemed to think this question through. He raised his hand and grabbed his chin with his fingers. "Possibly." he nodded. "According to Jura, he'd filled almost half of the Council's prisons during the past seven years. To match these results, they'd need at least a decade. It is possible they are worried about their image and want to eliminate him to save what little of that image remains. They may also be scared of him, what he's capable of. Their trust in us has always been rather thin, it is possible they deem us unfit to control someone of his caliber."
"How can they do that?" asked distressed Erza. "This is despicable. How are we supposed to trust in them, when they are constantly throwing logs under our feet?"
"Truth to be told, I made the deal with Gran Doma, not the entire Council." said grimly Makarov. "You asked me why I nominated him for the exam. If he passes and becomes an S-Class mage, he will obtain more than just a rank inside the guild. He will also obtain a status inside of the Council. This rank is unique, not many people have it. One of the reasons you were not thrown into jail all those years ago was because of your status."
Erza frowned. Master's plan was to essentially force Natsu into a higher level of power and authority, in order to protect him from the very people he once saved. Could it possibly sound more ridiculous?
"What if he fails?" she asked after a while. "If, as you just said, passing the exam is his only chance at staying here, what if he fails? Will he be immediately shipped to prison?"
"I have thought of that." replied the elder before sipping his tea. "His chances at passing are high, however, even if he doesn't, he will gain something just as valuable. Whether he accepts it, is up to him."
Erza's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
The elder grinned. "Oh, you are not going to like that."
Later this evening
Lucy strolled through the snowy streets. Or rather pushed her way through, with the snow so thick and high that for each step forward she had to take two backwards.
"I really don't understand why they don't just hire someone to melt this snow." she huffed to herself. "I bet Natsu could melt this in a second."
As she continued on her way, she heard a weird sound to her right. Looking at the source of the sound curiously, she couldn't help but squint her eyes, unsure if they were playing tricks on her.
"Are you okay?" she asked while blinking repeatedly. "Mentally-wise, I mean?"
She was currently staring at waving Cana, completely rid of any sort of clothing suitable for current weather. She was still in her bikini top, her exposed skin red and shivering.
"Yo, Lucy!" grinned the brunette. "What a coincidence! I was just about to visit you!"
"I find that hard to believe." sighed the blonde and slowly took off her jacket. She threw it over Cana and grabbed her hands with her mittens, trying to warm her up. "Couldn't we talk at the guild?"
All of a sudden, Cana sulked. She lowered her head, hair covering her face. "Doing that is the last thing I want right now. Can we talk in private? Please?"
Lucy stopped working her hands. She'd never heard Cana feel this down before.
"Of course." she replied. "My place is just one corner away anyway. Let's get there and we'll talk."
Couple minutes later, the ladies found themselves in Lucy's apartment. After forcefully wrapping Cana in several blankets, Lucy took off her winter clothes and made some tea.
"Thanks, Lucy." laughed Cana after taking her cup from the blonde. "You're a lifesaver!"
"There's nothing to laugh about." pouted Lucy. "You could have fallen asleep back there."
"Yeah, good thing you were passing by."
Lucy sighed and drank from her cup. "So" she started "what's going on? You've been acting weird as of late."
The brunette looked at her. "You can tell?"
"Well, duh. You've been acting weird for the past few days. Is it because of the exams?"
Cana lowered her head. "Four times."
"I'm sorry?"
"I've taken the exam four times by now. This will be my fifth attempt. This alone tells you how much of a disappointment I am."
Lucy sighed through her nose. "No, you are not. Who cares how many times you fail?"
"I'm the only one who had been chosen in all of the exams and failed them all, one by one." said Cana. "I was literally a stepping stone to every single S-Class our guild has or had. This is why I've decided, that this will be my final attempt. If I fail, if I can't become S-Class, I'll leave the guild. And that, I most likely will."
"How can you be so sure?" asked her Lucy, her voice strained.
Cana laughed sarcastically. "Be honest with me, Lucy. Gray? Elfman? Freed? I have no chance of beating those guys. Not to mention that this monster from your team is taking a part. I might as well pack my things and leave the town."
Lucy clenched her teeth. "Stop saying nonsense!" she yelled all of a sudden, which scared Cana. "Leave the guild? You're really going to leave us just because you didn't make it to the higher level? Why are you so obsessed with becoming one anyway?"
"Because I have to!" Cana yelled back. "Passing that exam is the minimal requirement I need to reach my goal. Without it, I have no right to meet that person!"
"That person?" frowned Lucy. "Who are you talking about?"
Cana appeared to hesitate to respond. She bit her lip and hugged herself tighter.
"The truth is...I am Gildarts' daughter."
Lucy's eyes widened in shock. "What? Does-"
"He doesn't know." answered Cana before Lucy could ask the question. "He left me and my mom when I was a baby. I joined Fairy Tail only because I heard he was a mage there, turned out it was true. Can you imagine how hard it was, trying to tell him I'm his daughter, when he was so special, while I was a nobody?"
Lucy listened to the brunette in silence. She wanted her to let it all out.
"That's why I decided I'd tell him after becoming S-Class. And I failed. Then again. And again. And once again. That's why this will be my final attempt. If I don't pass this time, I'll leave the guild. I have no right to tell him I'm his daughter."
"No. You won't."
Cana lifted her head, her eyes wide. Lucy was drilling a hole in her soul with her eyes, determination setting her irises aflame. "You won't leave the guild. Because I will become your partner, and make you an S-Class."
"But...why?" asked her Cana. "We don't have a chance at winning, you should know that."
Lucy crawled on her knees towards Cana and placed her hand on her shoulder. "I don't want you to leave." she said softly. "And I don't want you to lose contact with your father. Like I did."
Cana's eyes became wider. Lucy gave her a smirk she learned from Mira. "What do you think their faces will look like when we become S-Class before them?"
Wendy looked around the guildhall, with people leaving for the night. Seeing that she had nothing else to do, she looked down at Carla, who was sleeping on her lap.
"Let's go home, Carla." she smiled at the Exceed.
Carla looked up with sleepy eyes and wiped her face. "I must have fallen asleep. What time is it?"
"Everyone's already leaving."
Carla looked around the guild, empty tables taking most of its space. "Yes, I guess we should head home."
"Wendy." called out a male voice from behind..
The girl turned around and was met with the sight of Mest. He appeared to have been waiting for a chance to speak to her.
"Uh, hello." gently bowed Wendy. "Mister..."
"Mest. Mest Gryder." smiled the man. "I'd like to talk to you, if possible."
Wendy blinked, surprised. "With me? What about?"
Mest walked over the table. "May I?" he asked, gesturing at the chair.
"Yes, please, go ahead."
The man sat down and put his hands on the table. "I take it you are familiar with the exams?"
As if by instinct, Carla woke up completely and straightened herself up. "Absolutely not. She's too young to take a part in this."
Mest blinked in confusion. "You haven't even heard my proposition." he then faced Wendy. "Wendy, would you like to become my partner?"
"Me?" she asked in disbelief. "Why?"
"Because there is a certain thing we can both relate to." smiled Mest. "We were both saved by Mystogan."
Wendy's eyes grew wide. "You mean Jellal?"
Mest laughed. "I called him by his other name, but yes. I was his disciple. Since he's not in this world anymore, I'd like to carry out his will, and become S-Class in his stead. I'd like you to become my partner, and help me achieve this dream."
"Partner, huh." wondered Wendy quietly. "I don't think..."
"Stop it right there." interrupted them Carla. "I have no idea who you're referring to, but I will not allow Wendy to take a part in this exam. She is too young."
"People her age, or even younger, took a part in these exams in the past." replied calmly Mest. "I assure you, nothing bad will happen to her."
"First of all, we don't even know you." said Carla. "You claim to be a friend of the man who helped Wendy, but do you have any proof of that?"
"I do not." admitted Mest. "But I can assure you, my intentions are pure. I would never hurt her."
"I don't buy it." continued Carla. "I won't-"
"Carla, enough." said sharply Wendy.
The tabby looked at her friend, her eyes wide. "Wendy?"
"I appreciate your concern, but I can deal with this on my own." smiled the girl. She then shifted her eyes onto Mest. "I appreciate your offer, Mest, but I have already decided on who I want to partner with. I wish all well in the exam, and I hope I didn't cause you any inconvenience." she said with a gentle bow.
Mest stared at her, his mouth agape, before cracking a small smile. "Don't worry about it. I should have asked first. I wish you well and I hope we do not meet in the exam. Goodnight."
With that said, he gave a bow of his own and left Wendy alone.
Carla looked at the girl and asked "You want to team up with someone? Who?"
The Dragon Slayer took a deep breath and stood up from her seat. She crossed the guild and stopped just behind Natsu's messy pink head.
"Natsu." she called out to him.
Natsu slowly turned around, surprised by who'd just walked up to him. "Yeah? What's up?"
Carla started to sweat. "Wendy, you don't..."
"Please, allow me to be your partner in the exam!" exclaimed Wendy, her face slowly becoming red.
Natsu blinked. Then one more time. Then another. "Why?" he asked her after a while.
Wendy raised her head and gave him a determined look. "There are many things I'd like to talk to you about, as well as many things I'd like you to teach me. Partnering up would benefit both of us."
"Wendy!" hissed Carla.
"I'm sorry, Carla." whispered the girl. "But I feel I have to do this."
Natsu continued to stare at the girl, still not able to find an ounce of reasoning in her request. He sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Well, I don't really care. Are you sure, though? Aren't you scared of me?"
"I was, at first. But not anymore."
Natsu groaned. Not only was he forced to participate, he was also forced to drag a poor soul around with him for the duration of the damn thing, including the upcoming week. He didn't have anything against the girl, but being alone was a much better option.
This is a great opportunity to make you get close to someone else than me.
Erza's voice echoed in his mind like a bell. He didn't have to see, or hear her, to know this would be the exact phrase she'd tell him if she were here right now.
Repeating said sentence in a mocking voice that was supposed to resemble Erza's under his nose, he turned around to fully face the girl. "Fine." he breathed out. He extended his right hand towards her and smirked. "Take care of me, partner."
Wendy beamed and grabbed his hand with her own. "Likewise."
Carla sighed and massaged her temples. "I'm gonna have a headache."
Night of December 22nd, somewhere in the sky
A tall woman with long, black hair looked out the window, a ghost of a smile creeping on her face. Although she'd find it hard to admit, she rather enjoyed looking at the clouds beneath her, with the moon casting its light on the earth below.
"Ultear." called a deep, male voice behind her.
The woman took one last look at the moon and turned around, before gently bowing. "Yes, Master?"
"How are the preparations going?" he asked.
"Faster than expected." replied Ultear. "Despite all the trouble caused to us a month ago, we should be ready to act in a week's time."
"Oh? That is indeed fast." said her Master, impressed. "You've done a great job." he praised her.
"Not as good as you'd expect of me. The loss of Jellal, as well as his failure, have both acted against us."
"I wouldn't be too sure about that." said the man, before lifting his glass. He sipped his wine and held the glass in front of him, gently rolling the liquid inside. "After giving it some thought, I came to a conclusion, that Silva's demise brought us more good, than harm. We may have lost our opportunity at creating a key necessary to awaken Zeref, but that kid was a formidable enemy. His defeat has made the path towards our goal easier."
"But, Master, won't that cause complications?" asked concerned Ultear.
"We have enough keys to fully awaken Zeref. I was hoping we could use Silva's obsession with resurrecting Zeref to our advantage, but his failure serves as a reasonable recompensation."
"That reminds me." said Ultear. "Our numbers have grown during recent weeks. The remains of Seven Commandments' subordinates have decided to join us. Should we dispose of them?"
"No." ordered the Master. "They may be of some use."
Ultear bowed. "As you wish."
"As for that pawn of yours." wondered the man. "Will there be any use of him?"
"No." replied shortly the woman. "He's being kept deep underground, in a secure prison. His usefulness has come to an end."
"That's unfortunate." sighed the Master. "He would become an important asset in our upcoming war. I've always been a fan of how well you manipulated him."
"Your words honor me." bowed Ultear with a smile. "I believe you will be happy to learn of the information I have happened to come across. I have been saving it for the last."
"This habit, on the other hand, I am not fond of." the elder shook his head. "What is it?"
Ultear grinned wickedly. "We have obtained his current location. As you suspected, he was indeed in a slumber. We shall reach him in a week's time, as soon as we finish our preparations."
The man's eye glimpsed in the darkness. "The time has come. Soon, we shall meet the source of all magic. Speed up the process, we have no time to waste."
The woman closed her eyes and bowed down with a smile. "As you wish, Master Hades."
Erza walked down the stairs after exiting Makarov's office. They talked for way too long. Rubbing her tired eyes, she walked down the last step and walked in-between messy tables.
"Yo!" she heard someone call to her.
She let go of her eyes, only to be met with the sight of Natsu sitting by himself couple tables away. In fact, him, Erza and Lisanna, who was currently cleaning behind the counter, were the only people in the hall.
"Hey." she smiled at him and sat beside his seat. "What are you doing here this late?"
He arched an eyebrow. "I live here."
Cursing her memory, Erza sighed and tried to cover it. "Why don't you get a place of your own? You should have enough money."
"I would, if I knew how to do it."
Sighing in her mind, Erza added yet another addition to her list of things she had to teach him.
"Are you okay?" he asked her, noticing her tired state.
The knight hesitated with her answer. Truthfully, no, she wasn't. Everything that had happened this day was simply too much.
"I'm fine." she said with a tired smile.
Natsu stared into her eyes for a moment. "Okay then." he said, not buying it. Still, he's known her long enough to know when to not push her."That reminds me" he said and reached out to his back pocket. He pulled out a sheet of paper and straightened it on the table. "I wanted to ask you about this. I think I got it right, but I'd rather be sure. This job is about protecting a carriage, right?"
Erza blinked. Since when was he so eager to ask her for reading advice? Shaking her head, she looked down and took in the contains of the requests.
"Yes, yes it is." she confirmed. "You want to go on this job?"
"Yeah, I was thinking if we could go on this job and take Wendy with us, just the three of us." said Natsu.
Erza's eyes widened in surprise. "Wendy? Why her?"
"She asked to become my partner for the exam. I figured I might as well take her with us."
She didn't know what to say. Inside, she was happy he made a step forward on his own, on the other, after learning what was to come in a week, her joy was overshadowed. Still, she couldn't let him know about that.
"Why don't you go alone, just the two of you?" she asked him after a while. "You don't have to go everywhere with me, I'm not your babysitter. I trust you to carry a mission out on your own."
Natsu raised his hand and scratched the back of his head. "I know, but it's...it just wouldn't be the same without you, you know? I know it sounds weird."
Erza was lost for words. Did he even realise what he just implied? With Makarov's words echoing in her mind, she looked away from him, her cheeks getting slightly warmer.
"I-I guess I can accompany you. I have no tasks to carry out tomorrow."
Natsu grinned and slapped her back, making her jolt straight up in her seat. "Thanks! You're the best!"
Erza sunk in her seat, her face becoming even more red. What the hell was wrong with her?
From afar, Lisanna watched the scene in wild amusement. It was at times like this she showed that she was, in fact, related to Mirajane. Demon's blood flowed in her veins..
End of Chapter 18. To be continued in Chapter 19: Fear.
Slow, but I wanted to take care of everything happening before Tenrou in one chapter. We're entering brand new dimension in the next chapter, so prepare your seatbelts.
I have tried to slightly improve character interactions, as well as give some characters more...character? I want to work on Juvia, and I already have a decent idea of where to go with her.
That's all for now. I hope you had great holidays and the end of 2017 will be just as great! See you soon!