Back with the continuation
"speaking"
""thinking""
On with the story
In the Forest
Lucy and Cana were sitting on the ground trying to figure out where is Mavis Vermillion's grave
"Figured out anything?" Cana asked
Lucy shook her head slowly in disappointment. "How are we supposed to find anything without a single hint? I have absolutely no idea what to do." she moaned.
Canna covered her lips with her fingers and wondered for a moment. "Maybe that's the problem?" she asked after a while.
Lucy blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Do we really have no clues?" continued Cana. "I've participated in this exam many times now, so it's just a hunch, but all of the tests I've taken were rational and made sense once given a thought. There has to be a hidden clue somewhere, we've just yet to see it."
"So, you're suggesting that this exam is not all about luck, but intelligence as well?"
"Exactly."
Lucy frowned. "Maybe it's supposed to be some sort of a puzzle, with words used as elements?"
"Words?" laughed Cana. "Well, we are searching for a grave, so maybe stuff related to death? Death, end of the line, funeral, coffin, tragedy? Demise?"
"Did you really have to use such grim terms?" shuddered Lucy, making Cana send her a teaseful grin.
"Yeah, I guess your analogies would be better. When people die, they turn into stars and all that."
Suddenly, Lucy's eyes widened. "That's it." she whispered in disbelief. She then beamed and jumped up. "I know where the grave is!" she exclaimed happily and grabbed Cana's hand, dragging her into the trees.
"I have no idea how you've managed to figure anything out from this gibberish, but as expected! You rock, Lucy!" cheered Cana with her free hand.
As the girls vanished behind the trees, Gray and Loke peeked out from behind nearby bushes, sinister smirks glued to their faces.
"I told you following them would pay off." said Gray, proud of himself. "Levy might be book smart, but when it comes to weird stuff like this, Lucy is the queen."
"And here I thought I couldn't fall for her more than I already have." sighed Loke with misty eyes.
Gray ignored him. "I knew it - this exam was all about intelligence, greed and-"
"Backstabbing our guildmates in the back?" Loke finished his thought in amusement.
"Yup." nodded shamelessly Gray. "Come on, let's follow them." he stood up and carefully followed the pair, with amused Loke following him in suit.
At somewhere else
Levy covered her ears for the who knows how many time since the exam started, as her patience starting to wear thin.
Gajeel was, to say the least, displeased with the construction of the exam, dissatisfied with both stages and their lack of luck in finding other contestants.
"First they let us pass for free, now they're telling us to find a grave...What the hell is wrong with this exam?!" yelled irritated Gajeel. "And most of all..."
He changed his right hand into an iron club and struck a giant snake that had just appeared before them, knocking it out instantly. "What is the deal with these stupid animals! What is this place, a zoo?!"
Levy could feel veins popping on her forehead. "Maybe if you stopped shouting all the time, nothing would have found us!" she yelled.
"I can't help it!" growled Gajeel. "All I wanted was to clobber Salamander and Titania! Hell, Laxus too, if I got to him. But instead, I had to pick a path, and now we have to walk around this island looking for a grave!"
"So you don't care about me?! All you want to do is fight?"
Gajeel calmed down instantly. "I never said that."
"But that's how you act!"
Levy sighed and massaged her temples, her headache getting stronger. "Why did you even partner up with me?"
Gajeel blinked in confusion. "To make you S-Class, obviously."
"Are you sure you're doing this for me, and not for yourself? That you're not just using me, because you were not picked by Master?"
The man's eyes narrowed, as he turned around to fully face her. "Am I really that low in your eyes?" he asked, visibly hurt by her words.
Levy came to immediately regret her words. "No, of course not. I'm sorry." she muttered. "It's just...all you ever do is fight everybody. I'm weak and small, so there is no way I can pass this exam... I'm just a liability."
Gajeel stared at her for a moment, before smirking and patting her on the head. "Then just get stronger. That's the only option you've got right now."
Levy bit her lip. "Excuse me." she said and gently took his arm off her head, before walking away.
"Where are you going?" he called after her.
"Private business." she threw in answer and disappeared behind the trees.
As she walked forward, she couldn't get her mind off of it. Why was she even chosen? She hadn't done anything remarkable all year long. She was weak when compared to others, not to mention her size. All she was good for was reading, so why did Master let her take part in this exam? And why did he care?
Realising that she may have overreacted, Levy sighed tiredly and turned around to go back. Then, she heard movement in the bushes, and looked back, curious.
"Gajeel?" she called out, thinking it may have been her partner following her.
Two giant figures jumped out of the bushes. One of them was a humanoid dog clad in a samurai armor and a kabuto helmet, a katana readied by his left hip. The other, taller, resembled a chicken, a black robe covering his body.
Before Levy could register anything, she spotted a blade right in front of her eye. With reflexes she'd never suspect herself of being capable of, Levy leaned back just in time to avoid a fatal strike. She fell onto her bottom, her headband splitting in two, with a small cut opening on her forehead.
"Wha...Who are you?!" she questioned while on the ground.
The chicken forcefully took a hold of both of her arms and brought them above her head, pinning her to the ground. The dog walked up to her and raised his blade above his head, ready to deal the decisive blow.
"You're first." he muttered and brought the blade down.
Was this it? Was she really going to die, just like that? Ten seconds is all it took for her to lose the most valuable thing she had? Images started to flash before her eyes. All of the books she's read, her friends, Gajeel.
Levy closed her eyes, subconsciously accepting her fate. However, the blow did not come. Instead, her ears picked up the sounds of two pieces of metal clanking against each other, a dull impact and a grunt of pain, with something warm falling onto her face.
The bookworm slowly opened her eyes, which then widened in an instant, both of them filling up with tears. Before her stood Gajeel, his left, hardened arm he used to block the sword with raised above his head. His right hand was turned into a club, which he used to strike the chicken straight in the stomach, which made him cough up blood that fell on Levy's face.
The chicken flew backwards, and with his right hand now free, Gajeel could use it to strike the dog. He struck with his club, which the creature ducked under and jumped back on his own, receiving no damage.
"Looking for someone as small as you in this jungle is quite troublesome." said Gajeel, his eyes sharp and focused on his opponent. "So don't you leave my side ever again."
Too relieved to argue, Levy wiped her eyes and grinned. "Okay." she nodded. She stood up and placed her back against Gajeel's, her attention now focused on the bird.
"So? Who are we dealing with? Did Gramps place these guys in here to make the exam tougher?"
Levy shook her head. "I doubt that. Judging by this mark...they are probably from Grimoire Heart, the strongest dark guild in Fiore. But why would they be here?"
"If they haven't been invited, then they must have come on their own. I guess wherever there's work, there are accidents as well." smirked Gajeel. "If you ask me, stuff like this should be handled by those considered to be S-Class rather easily. Otherwise, this exam would have no purpose."
"But this is Grimoire Heart! One of the corners of Baram Alliance!" reminded him Levy.
"If I can't get over something this small, then I am not suited for the rank. That's all there is to it. Same with the others."
"We can't just attack them without a warning!"
The dog swiped his sword to the side and laughed mockingly at the girl's words. "See, this is why I keep telling you official guilds are pathetic, Kawazu! Rules, morality, they're all worth shit when you're about to die!"
Kawazu chuckled. "As if rules applied to war! How ridiculous!"
Gajeel's eyes narrowed. "War?"
"What is your goal?!" asked Levy, trying to buy some time.
The dog grinned in a sinister fashion and raised his blade above his head. "To exterminate all fairies from this world!" he roared and swiped down.
A giant sign with foreign characters formed in front of him. Along with it, a horrible, painful sound echoed throughout the area, causing Gajeel and Levy to cover their ears in pain. because of his enhanced senses, Gajeel suffered immeasurably, his head splitting in two.
"My...My ears!" cried out Levy.
"Sounds from words?!" roared Gajeel. "This is the same magic as yours!"
Levy opened her eyes and took the sight in, dots connecting in her brain. "It's Solid Script from Orient!"
Using the distraction to his favor, Kawazu kicked the ground and dashed at the pair.
"Gajeel! Behind us!" alarmed Levy to no avail. He was completely overpowered by the sound and failed to spot her warning. Seeing that it was pointless to talk to him, Levy grabbed him by his jacket and dragged him down to the ground, both of them evading Kawazu, as he slashed at them with his sharp claws.
Finally seeing the enemy, Gajeel quickly stood up and braced himself.
The chicken puffed out his chest in a fashion similar to his Roar and jumped upwards.
"EGG BUSTER!"
He spat out dozens of eggs, which flew in the pair's direction at incredible speed. Discarding his initial shock of the individual's magic, Gajeel quickly hardened his body in iron scales and blocked majority of the eggs. Two of them managed to pass right by him and struck Levy in her torso, making her gasp for air.
"Levy!" called out worried Gajeel.
He didn't get a chance to check up on her. With the corner of his eye he spotted something above him, so he quickly grabbed her and jumped back, avoiding the dog's slash at the last possible moment. The samurai did not let go and followed the Dragon Slayer, his blade readied by his right hip.
Because of this ruckus I can't even hear his footsteps! growled Gajeel in his mind and ducked in order to avoid a stab aimed at his head. He grabbed the blade with his left hand and turned his right one into a club. Pulling the blade towards his figure, Gajeel used the momentum to strike the dog in the abdomen. He managed to raise his left leg just in time to block the blow with his knee. Feeling that holding the blade for longer than necessary could end up badly, the Dragon Slayer leg go of the weapon, which allowed his opponent to jump back.
Kawazu jumped upwards once again, readying another wave of eggs. In the meantime, Levy managed to get a hold of herself and write her own set of scripts.
"SOLID SCRIPT: SILENCE!"
Her words made contact with their oriental counterpart, shattering them into pieces. Silence fell in the area, shocking all three males, with Kawazu failing to deliver his attack.
"The sound is back to normal." whispered Gajeel, before curving his lips into a sinister smirk.
"You canceled out my words?! You bitch!" roared the dog, turning his attention to Levy.
"IRON DRAGON'S HARD FIST!"
His plans were ruined by Gajeel, who planted his hardened fist deep into his gut, making him cough up saliva.
"Yomazu!" called out his partner and puffed out his chest.
"EGG BUSTER!"
The eggs flew in Levy's direction, meant to catch her off guard, however this time, she was prepared.
"SOLID SCRIPT: FIRE!"
The eggs were taken by flames shaped into a word, all of them turning into ashes, much to their owner's shock.
"How dare you!" roared Yomazu and headbutted Gajeel, before jumping back. He put his sword at hip level and slashes horizontally, however this time, his range was much different. Gajeel was forced to lean back as hard as he could to avoid being cut in half, the trees behind him showing him his possible fate.
Yomazu regained his posture and struck once again, this time at an angle. Unable to dodge properly, Gajeel blocked it with his right arm, his forearm splitting in the process along with his scales.
In the meantime, Levy tried to deal with Kawazu's constant waves of eggs, which kept increasing in numbers. Unable to burn them all, she helplessly put up her arms to protect herself, as multiple projectiles struck her at once, dull pain spreading all over her body.
"Levy!" called out Gajeel and tried to run up to her.
"Are you in any position to look away?!" yelled Yomazu and slashes vertically at the Dragon Slayer, who sidestepped to his right and kicked the ground as hard as he could.
"Out of the way!" he roared and struck the dog in the face, breaking his nose in the process. This caused him to fly backwards, as he slid on the ground, using his plunged into the ground sword to slow himself down.
Yomazu breathed heavily and pulled the blade out, before raising it up to right side of his face. "You seem to be distracted by something. Allow me to take care of it."
It took Gajeel a second to realise that the blade was not aimed at him. In despair he kicked the ground as hard as he could and ran towards Levy, the flying sword strike moving in slow motion in her direction.
Gajeel managed to get in front of her just in time to change the trajectory of the attack and feel it pierce his left side, as it came out on the other side, missing Levy completely. He grit his teeth in pain and fell onto his right knee, finding it hard to catch a breath, his iron scales falling off his skin..
"Gajeel!" called out Levy and ran up to him despite her injuries.
"Is that all you've got, Fairy Tail?" asked Yomazu and relaxed his posture, with Kawazu walking up to him. "Pathetic. At this rate, we will take care of you lot before the main squad appears."
Gajeel clenched his fist on the ground, grass trapped in his fist. "Main squad, you say?" he asked in-between his heavy breaths.
"Exactly that. The entirety of Grimoire Heart is on their way as we speak." confirmed the samurai.
Levy's eyes widened in terror. "No way...But that's-"
"Levy." cut her off Gajeel. "Run."
Levy blinked in confusion. "What are you saying?! I can't just leave you!"
"This is not just a friendly bickering between two rival guilds. This is going to turn into an all out war if we let it happen. Get away from here."
"But I-"
"Hurry up and get out of here!" roared Gajeel, now angry. "Let everyone know what is going to happen, only you can do it now! I can take care of these pieces of filth on my own!"
Too shaken up to even answer, Levy nodded lightly and stood up. However, before she did, she swiped her fingers to the side, making a giant piece of iron fall in front of Gajeel.
"Don't die." she ordered him quietly and run off.
"As if we'd let you escape!" exclaimed Kawazu and prepared to chase after the girl, only to be struck in the beak once again.
Yomazu watched his friend fall to the group, a scowl forming on his face. "You bastard..." he growled, as he watched Gajeel devour the iron.
With the last bite, the Dragon Slayer sighed and punched the ground so hard it shook, making his opponents know that he was no longer on the same level as he was before.
"So your goal is a war with Fairy Tail, huh?" asked them Gajeel
"Has he lost it?" questioned Yomazu.
"He intends to take both of us on alone, he must have snapped." taunted his partner.
Gajeel calmed down and took a deep breath. "Oh, don't mind me. I was just hit by a bit of nostalgia, that's all." he grinned, the image of victorious Gray standing over him in the ruins of his previous guild still haunting him to this day. "I've been in your position before, and I just can't wait to make you feel the same way I did back then."
Yomazu readied his blade, not amused by the Slayer's attitude. "Your threats are of no use for us. You will die here, nothing is going to change that."
Gajeel grinned even wider, iron scales growing on his body once again. "I'm glad she's not here. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to take care of you pieces of trash properly." he said, as he stood up
That's a wrap!
Bye bye