Chapter 24: Announcement and Partners
So here are the S-class candidates and partnerships in this alternate universe. Copperreign will be pleased to know I took a couple of his suggestions for the partner changing. Not all, but a couple at least.
Wendy-Carla: Obviously these two would go together like Natsu and Happy. Copperreign suggested it but I'd thought of it already. Who else would Wendy go with?
Gray-Loke: Just like in canon.
Lucy-Levi: Besties! I figured they would work well together, Levy can use her solid script fire or whatever while Lucy uses her Celestial Spirits.
Juvia- Gajeel: I was gonna have it like canon where Juvia goes with Lisanna, but I changed it thanks to Copperreign's suggestion.
Freed- Bickslow: Same.
Elfman- Evergreen. Same.
Cana-Lily: Copperreign wanted Cana to go with Jet, but that wouldn't work to keep it closely related to canon. Lily wouldn't come by since Carla would be on the Island with Wendy, Cana wants to win the S-class so having a swordsman that's more or less equal to Erza in skill would appeal to her.
Mest- Lisanna: I was gonna have Mest be with Gajeel but I couldn't see the two of them working together or choosing each other as partner, then Copperreign thought Mest could go with Lisanna and Juvia would go with Gajeel. How would they work together? Any suggestions?
Now to start the Chapter. Oh wait, one more thing. I edited last weeks chapter to include Gildarts in the conversation as I forgot about him during that. So please recheck last weeks chapter.
Edit: I went back over the last chapter and noticed that the update with Gildarts I made for some reason didn't get in there. Ah well that's fixed now.
…
The S-class mages exited the guild master's office. Makarov came out first followed by his much taller grandson.
"Alright everyone! Gather around, we're ready to make the announcement!"
The S-class wizards and the guild masters (both former and current) stood on the stage.
"The time has come for the S-class trial to begin!" Laxus declared. "I've consulted with the majority of the S-class wizards here." He looked at Gildarts who had remained silent for the entirety of the meeting. "And we've chosen 8 participants for the trial this year. First up… Wendy Marvel!"
"It's finally my turn!" Wendy said. "I'm gonna be an S-class wizard just like my big brother!"
"Lucy Heartfillia!"
"What? Me?" Lucy was shocked. "But I didn't even go on a solo job!"
"Gray Fullbuster!"
"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Gray said with a smile.
"Elfman!"
"S-class deserves a real man like me!"
"Cana Alberona!"
The young lady sighed, S-class time was a bad time for her. She'd already taken it five times and failed each one.
"Freed Justine!"
"I'll make you proud Master Laxus!" Freed promised his boss.
"Juvia Lockser!"
Juvia who had been eyeing Gray and only been half listening to what was going on, blushed. "Really? They chose me?"
"And finally, Mest Gryder!"
Mest grinned.
"The trial will take place in one week on Tenrou Island, our guilds sacred land!" Laxus said. "Myself, Gramps, and all the S-class mages will be there. You will all be able to pick one partner to participate in the S-class trial with you! But that person cannot be one of the other candidates, or an S-class wizard, and they have to be a member of Fairy Tail! So pick your partner and train for the duration of the week."
"Umm… can I ask a question?" Lucy raised her hand. "Why was I picked? I mean I'm not that strong."
"No Lucy, you're stronger than you think," Erza said with a smile. "You just need a bit of confidence. That's why I chose you. I hope you don't disappoint me by backing out."
She ended with her evil glare on the last sentence. Lucy shivered.
"No ma'am! I'll do my best!" Lucy said.
"Good."
…
Wendy, Lucy, and Gray sat with Juvia, as well as Lisanna and Elfman.
"Well, congratulations Lucy," Lisanna said.
"Thanks," Lucy said. "I'm not sure I'm really cut out to be S-class."
"Well I think you'll do great," Wendy said.
"Yeah, you got a ton of those golden keys. Those are the most powerful of the Celestial spirits right? So you should be good."
"Easy for you too say," Lucy said. "You know I'm surprised you haven't been selected before."
"Well I was Cana's partner one time, when Natsu became S-class."
"So, do you know you're going to partner up with?" Wendy asked.
"Yeah, I worked out a plan with someone a while ago," Gray said.
"That's right," a voice said behind Lucy.
The Celestial wizard looked over her shoulder and saw Loke, or as she knew now, Leo the Lion.
"You're using one of my spirits?" she asked Gray, shocked.
"Sorry toots. Gray and I worked this out a year ago, if he became an S-class candidate I'd be his partner. I'm gonna have to put our contract on hold until the S-class trials are over. I came through the gate on my own so you don't have to worry about running out of magic power."
"Uh… okay," Lucy said. "So, what about you Wendy?"
"Carla who else?" the youngest candidate said.
"I'll do my best to support you, child!" the white cat said.
"Now hold on there Wendy! If this ends up being a race, then having a partner that can fly is an unfair advantage!" Elfman said.
"Well it seems fair to me!" Lisanna said.
"I'm cool with it too! Besides if this ends up being a fight it will be a disadvantage," Gray said.
Carla winced slightly. Gray was right. She wasn't very useful in direct combat… yet. They had a week to train… maybe…
"So who's with me?" Lucy wondered aloud. "I can't take any of my usual teammates. Wendy and Gray are both candidates and have partners. I can't take Natsu or Erza either since they're S-class. I guess there's Happy, but he'd only be useful for annoying me."
"Well, I have an idea!" Gray pointed.
Lucy looked in the direction his finger aimed at and saw Levy sitting on a couch with her teammates. They were all clearly bummed out none of them had been chosen (or at least Levy hadn't). Lucy looked at her and realized Gray was right. Levy was her closest friend in the guild after all. She could use solid script magic as well, which could take on any form of attack or defense depending on what she wrote.
Lucy got up and walked over to her friend. "Hey, Levy."
"Oh hey Lulu," Levi said as she looked up. "Congrats on becoming an S-class candidate. I'd hoped to be picked, but I guess I'm just too puny and weak."
"Hey, I thought I wasn't gonna picked. But… would you like to be my partner?" Lucy asked.
Levy looked up. "Really?"
Lucy nodded. "Yeah! You're my best friend in the guild after all!"
"Alright! We'll show them that together we'll be just as good as the rest of your gang!"
"I like you attitude!" Lucy said.
….
Juvia watched as Lucy went over and asked Levi to be her partner. Meanwhile… her darling Gray was pairing up with that spikey haired nerdy looking guy with glasses. If only she weren't a candidate she could have been his partner rather than rival. Who was she going to go with now?
"Hey," a gruff voice said.
Juvia looked behind her much like Lucy did a while ago. She saw Gajeel standing behind her.
"Oh Gajeel," she greeted her fellow former guildmate of Phantom Lord.
"If you wanna make S-class you should pick me to be your partner," the iron dragon slayer said.
"Really?" she asked.
"I just wanna have a chance to fight some of these guys," he said. "It will be good to pair up with another of my fellows from Phantom Lord."
"Just don't hurt my darling Gray too much!" she said.
…
Lisanna watched as Juvia got her partner.
"Aww too bad I wanted to partner with Juvia," she said.
"Well, guess you can always go with me sis!" Elfman said.
"Uh, I think you already have someone that wants to be your partner," Lisanna told her brother.
She pointed like Gray had to Levy for Lucy. Elfman looked and saw Evergreen looking blankly at him, which freaked him out slightly because he knew she could turn people to stone by looking them in the eye. Evergreen was angry at Freed, who had chosen Bicklow to be his partner instead. Now she needed to be someone else's partner if she was going to compete.
Lisanna sighed. "Well, I guess I would probably not be a good partner as I missed out on two years of training. Even if I picked up some sword skills," she said as she looked at her saber resting against the legs of the table.
"Don't be so sure about that," a voice said from behind.
Lisanna looked and saw Mest behind her. Well, this was certainly a day to walk up behind someone and surprise them!
"Would you like to be my partner?" he asked.
"Umm… sure. What's your name again?"
"Mest," he said.
"Okay Mest," she said.
So, Wendy, Gray, Lucy, Freed, Elfman, Mest, and Juvia all had partners. That left only Cana. The girl in the bikini top sighed as she looked around, unsure of who to pick.
…
Lucy smiled at Levi.
"Well, glad I'm going to be your partner girl! But weren't you going to go on a date with Natsu?"
"Oh I forgot!" Lucy said. "Where is he?"
"Right here!" Natsu called.
"Why didn't you come get me?" Lucy asked.
"Well, I wanted to let you take care of the S-class stuff first. Looks like you're done with that. So what are we going to do?"
Lucy grit her teeth. She'd been so surprised by her being selected to be S-class that she'd forgotten about her date with Natsu. What was she going to do?
Well next time we get the Nalu date, as well as Cana choosing Lily.