Chapter 23 Selections of Dates and Trials

Edit: Hey guys, I just noticed I forgot to include Gildarts in the S-class meeting so I've edited this chapter to do so, though he only speaks one line of dialogue. Damn... something went wrong when I tried to add this update in time for the next chapter!

The next day, Natsu arrived at Fairy Tail to find both Lucy and Lisanna waiting for him. Standing by Lucy were Erza and Levy, while Lisanna had her siblings by her side. Many of the guild members were eagerly waiting to hear Natsu's choice, if he had made one.

"Well Natsu have you decided which one you will be with?" Erza asked.

Natsu shook his head. "No. But I do have an idea of how to handle it. Gray gave me some advice last night and said I should date both a little bit then make a choice."

Everyone looked at Gray.

The ice mage shrugged. "Well he can't decide right now so he needs to try and see which one he likes better in a romantic way.

Lucy and Lisanna looked at each other.

"So it's going to depend on us getting Natsu to like one of us better on dates huh?" Lucy asked. "Alright it is on!"

"Don't think I'm gonna hold anything back!" Lisanna promised. "I'm gonna do everything I can to win my possible future husband back! But who goes on the date first?" she wondered aloud.

"You went on a mission with him last time so its my turn!" Lucy said.

"A mission doesn't count as a date!" Lisanna objected.

They glared at each other. Then Gray put his hands between them.

"Okay you two that's enough!" he said. "Here's how we'll settle who goes out with him first!"

He pulled a gold one jewel coin from his pocket.

"Call a side. Heads or Tails. Whoever it lands on first will be the one that Natsu goes on a date with first!"

"Heads!" Lucy said first.

"Guess I'm tails then," Lisanna said.

"Okay," Gray said. "Here goes."

He flipped the coin. Many of the onlookers looked at it eagerly. Lucy and Lisanna both held their breath praying for their side.

Come on heads. Give me a shot at getting my true love first! This has to be true love right? If it hid from me all this time it must be real! Lucy thought.

Please be tails. I've loved Natsu since we were kids! Lisanna thought. Please don't let my shot at him be destroyed from my time in Edolas!

The coin landed in Gray's palm and it revealed… heads.

"Lucy gets the first date!" Gray said.

"Yes!" Lucy said clutching a triumphant fist.

"Congratulations Lucy!" Erza said putting an arm around her friend.

Lisanna looked down, disappointed at being the second one favored by fate. Mirajane put a hand on her shoulder like Erza did for Lucy.

"Don't worry. You'll get your chance," she said before whispering. "And I think I know a good way to get into Natsu's heart."

Lisanna grinned at her sister. "Thanks Mira!"

Elfman sighed. "I say you just beat Lucy like a real man!"

"I'm not a man!" Lisanna objected. "And unlike you I prefer to use other means besides violence!"

"Now that is a proper lady!" Evergreen said. "Your brute of a brother will be lucky to every find a girlfriend!"

Lucy walked over to Natsu who hadn't spoken. He was slightly red, blushing like the time when she'd thought he'd had a crush on her. Lucy likewise blushed. Both of them having no clue what to say to each other right now. Neither had ever been on a date.

"Umm… so I date you first huh?" Natsu asked.

"Yeah," Lucy said.

"What should we do?" Natsu asked.

"Umm…"

"Hey!" a voice called. "Before you forget about your duties Natsu… I need you to attend the S-class meeting in my office! Gildarts, Mirajane, and Erza as well."

Laxus looked down at them from the floor above.

Natsu looked at Lucy. "Well, I guess I'm needed."

Lucy nodded. She could spend the time thinking of what they could do on the date while he was in the meeting. Natsu walked up the stairs along with Erza and Mirajane while all the others watched. Wendy looked hopefully after her brother, praying that he would convince Laxus that she was worthy of being a candidate in the S-class trials. Many others were hopeful of this same thing as well.

…

The four S-class wizards walked into the Guild Master's office. Both Makarov and Laxus were there. Even though Makarov had retired he still stayed as an advisor to his grandson. Now was the time to select the candidates. They took a seat at the long table in the middle of the room.

"Alright, so you guys know why we're here," Laxus said. "We have a lot of capable wizards in this guild but only one of them can obtain the rank of S-class."

The four wizards nodded.

"The plan for this years trial was to have it take place on Tenrou Island, our guilds sacred land," Laxus said.

"Of course since you're the guild master now you are free to change it," Makarov told his grandson.

"I'll stick with it gramps. Few of the members have ever set foot on the island," Laxus said. "I'm also going to allow up to eight candidates. So, which ones do you guys recommend?"

"Well I haven't been here in so long, so I'm probably not the best one to make judgments," Gildarts said. "You should probably leave it to these three."

"Well, I'm recommending Wendy of course!" Natsu said.

"Is that your only recommendation?" Laxus asked.

"I think so," Natsu said.

"What about Lucy?" Erza asked her teammate.

"Well… I'm not so sure about her. She didn't go on any solo missions though."

"She lacks confidence," Erza said. "Well… I'm recommending her as well as Wendy and Gray."

"Okay so two votes for Wendy then," Laxus said as he took a piece of paper and wrote names down on it. "One for both Lucy and Gray. Though… the three of them did break guild rules by going on that S-class quest. Gramps, Mira, what do you think? I vote to not let them partake cause of that."

"Eh… I think they more than made up for it with all the other things they've done since then," Makarov said waving his hand.

"I agree. All of them should participate."

Laxus sighed as he was outvoted. "Fine. So Wendy, Lucy, and Gray. That's three, and all from the team with you two on it!"

"Well that does give us a first hand view of their progress," Erza said.

"We still need five more," Laxus said. "Mira? Gramps?

"I'm recommending Elfman," Mirajane said.

"Voting for your siblings here," Laxus said. "Guess we're all playing favorites huh? Well how about I go ahead and vote for every member of the Thunder Legion?"

"I'll vote for Elfman with Mira," Natsu said.

"As will I. He defeated one of the element four so that counts as something I'd say.

Laxus sighed again. "You guys are doing favorites. That's halfway done. Just four more. Will you approve of any members of the Thunder Legion?

"I'll vote for Freed," Mirajane said. "It was during the fight with him that I reawakened my demon powers. I'd also recommend Cana as she's been selected the last few times."

"I'll agree to that," Erza said.

"Alright, just two more."

"Well I have thought about Gajeel, but he did destroy our guildhall and injure Levi and her team so I think that's out for this year," Makarov said. "I'll vote for Juvia instead.

"Well Juvia did help us out at the Tower of Heaven so I'll vote for her," Erza said.

"Alright seven down one to go," Laxus said as he jotted down the names.

"I would recommend Levi," Makarov said.

They all looked at him.

"While Levi might be a capable mage, I'm not sure she'll cut S-class," Laxus said. "Getting herself beaten up in the Phantom Lord Incident really doesn't make her look strong enough."

"Yeah I don't think she's quite strong enough," Natsu said. "You need to have some good combat abilities."

"Brains are important too, but she'd have to be very lucky to last in a fight," Erza said.

"Sorry gramps that one's out."

"Ah! Well I was recommending her mainly to make her feel better for what happened in the Phantom Lord incident!" Makarov said. "What about Mest?"

"Mest?" Laxus repeated. "Oh right! Mest. I'll go with him!"

"Well if the Master thinks he's good then I'll trust his judgement," Erza said.

"Then why didn't you accept Levi!" Makarov screamed.

"Well since Laxus agrees I presume he knows Mest is worthy so that's two master votes," Erza said.

"Alright, that should do it," Laxus said as he wrote Mest's name down. "Lets head down and let everyone know."

Well the S-class candidates have been chosen and Natsu will go on a date with Lucy first. I'm sure many of you are hoping for one ship over the other. Several people in my last chapter hoped for Lisanna in the reviews. But don't worry, I have a plan to appease both parties in the finale, though I won't spoil anything. Anyways, as you probably noticed I made some slight alterations in this AU of who the S-class candidates are since Natsu is already S-class so that left one spot blank. Also, when I thought about it, Lucy did more than Levi so it made more sense for her to be chosen as an S-class candidate in my opinion over Levi. So I have to make adjustments of who will be whose partner in this story. Lucy can't go with Cana now after all. What do you guys think I should make for the partners right now? I've got a list in mind, but I'd love to hear your thoughts at least. Maybe you'll change my mind.