Chapter 33 The Second Round
The first round of the trials were over, those that advanced went onto meet with Laxus after a walk out of the tunnels. The others who had lost were sent to the base camp with the other S-class mages to get a meal ready.
Laxus and Makarov waited for everyone to arrive… or at least… almost everyone.
"Well, is that everyone then?" Laxus asked.
"Seems like it," Makarov said.
Lucy looked around. "Where's Wendy?"
"Oh she and Carla ran into Natsu," Laxus said. "So, you defeated Mest and Lisanna."
"Yep!" Lucy grinned. "And I get the next date with Natsu!"
Laxus huffed. "Hate to burst your bubble, but the losers are sent to camp with the S-class mages. So Lisanna is probably up there with Natsu right now!"
Lucy let out a scream of dismay. "I won the battle but now Lisanna's getting another chance at him!"
"Oh don't worry Lulu there is still time!" Levy said rubbing her partners shoulder.
"Well we got the serenity route, so lucky us!" Loke said.
"Juvia didn't make it past the first round?"Gray noticed.
This made Makarov start crying, which creeped Gray out.
"Unfortunately luck was not on Juvia and Gajeels side! Their route lead to she who knows no mercy!" he said.
Everyone knew who that was. Erza.
"Cana also defeated Freed and Bickslow, I'm disappointed in them!" Laxus said. "So Wendy, Freed, Mest, and Juvia have all been eliminated. That's half of them done already."
"Elfman and Evergreen aren't here. What do you think happened to them?" Lucy asked.
"Well by process of elimination the only other route…" Cana said and let the sentence hang for them to guess.
They shivered. "Mirajane."
"Well too bad for them," Laxus said. "The beast just can't beat a demon."
"Don't count on that forever!"
Everyone's mouth fell as the last pair suddenly stumbled into view from the trees. Elfman and Evergreen had actually beat her?
"Didn't think we could beat my big sis did you?" Elfman asked.
"My word!" Makarov exclaimed.
"How did you ever beat Mira?" Laxus asked.
"Uh… a real man doesn't brag about his win," Elfman said.
"Let's just say we took full advantage of catching her offguard," Ever said.
"Hmm… alright. Whatever works," Laxus said. "I'll have to find out from Mira when I get to the camp. So now there's just four teams left. Lucy and Levi, Gray and Loke, Elfman and Evergreen, Cana and Lily. Its time for your next task! Somewhere on this island lies the grave of Fairy Tail's first Master, Mavis Vermillion. You will have to find it!"
"Find a grave?" Lucy asked.
"You need to be good at finding things in order to be a good S-class wizard," Laxus said. "That requires power of observation and deduction, not only strength. This first trial worked to weed out the weakest, now you'll need intelligence."
"Wish I could say Natsu had that," Gray said. "If that's true how come he become S-class being so dumb!"
"Well he has Carla, Wendy, and Erza to help him with that. Even we S-class aren't perfect, but he's got enough brawn to make up for his lack of brains," Laxus said. "Well… you have six hours. Starting now. Gramps and I need to go check on the base."
He and his grandfather vanished in a flash of lightning.
…
They reappeared at the base camp where the others were. Natsu had carried Wendy all the way up after defeating her. They lay in a magic tent which was enchanted to be nice and cool in hot weather. Wendy sighed contently as she lay on her back next to Natsu, enjoying the pleasure cool tent as she let herself take a break after having to heal both herself and Carla after their fight with Natsu. Gajeel sat in the open sun, growling at his defeat with Freed, Mest, and Bickslow nearby as they talked about their respective defeats. Meanwhile, Erza, Juvia and Lisanna worked over the dinner stew they were making for everyone later on. Soon they were joined by Mirajane as the she-devil returned after being knocked out from Elfman and Evergreen's tactic. Gildarts meanwhile, sat on a long chair with sunglasses on.
"Freed! Bickslow!" Laxus called.
"Uh-oh!" Bickslow said.
"I'm very disappointed in you two! Evergreen is the only one of you to advance to the next round, and she is the partner, not the candidate!"
"We're very sorry Master Laxus! Please forgive us!" Freed began bowing multiple times.
"Next time I recommend one of you for S-class, Evergreen will first in line!" Laxus said. "Now you two start training!"
"Yes sir!" they said and immediately began doing push ups.
"No need to be so hard on them Laxus," Mirajane said as she walked over.
"You could probably use some training as well if Elfman and Ever beat you!" Laxus said. "Still haven't recovered all your strength yet have you?"
"No its not that," Mirajane said. "Its just that, Elfman and Evergreen said they were getting married.
"What?" many of them exclaimed.
"Big brother getting married?" Lisanna asked in surprise as she looked up from the soup she was working on.
"Well good for them!" Gildarts said.
"No way!" Erza said.
"Our little Evergreen has found herself a man!" Freed and Bickslow said with teary eyes.
"I don't think it was serious. I think they just wanted to say something to distract me and it worked. I guess I still have a lot to learn," Mira said.
"Surprise often freezes even the wisest of us," Makarov said. "Don't be too hard on them Laxus I'm sure everyone here did their best."
"Fine, if you say so gramps," Laxus said.
"Well… even though you guys didn't get to be S-class this time you can still go and explore the island," Mirajane said.
Wendy got up and walked out of the tent Natsu had placed her in.
"I'd like to do that!" she said.
"That would be nice, this island is the resting place of our first master after all. So I could pay my respects," Freed said.
"I've heard this place only appears once in a while right?" Mest asked. "Is that true?"
"Yes… a magic barrier surrounds this place so its only visible at certain times," Mirajane said. "They say its some divine protection magic."
"Well if Wendy's going… so am I!" Natsu said. "Can't have my baby sister walking on an island alone!"
"Natsu! I'm not a baby!" Wendy pouted.
"I know sis just kidding!" Natsu said as he ruffled her hair.
"Cut it out!" she said pushing his hand away.
"I'd like to go see the place as well!" Lisanna said.
"Well… Erza and I can probably handle the cooking ourselves," Mirajane said. "You go ahead and enjoy yourself."
She leaned in close. "Take the chance to spend some time with Natsu."
"I heard that!" Natsu said.
The two sisters blushed. But Natsu grinned and beckoned Lisanna over.
"Come on Lisanna, lets go!"
"Alright!" Lisanna said running over eagerly.
They began to walk. Natsu, Lisanna, Wendy, Happy, and Carla.
"The old gang is back together again!" Natsu said as he put his hands over his head.
"Feels good to have you back with us Lisanna!" Wendy said.
"Yeah!" Happy said as he hugged her. "I'm so glad you're not dead!"
"Oh Happy!" Lisanna said as she stroked the blue exceed.
"I'm pleased you are back as well," Carla said.
"I'm sorry for making you guys wait so long. I was so fixated on keeping the Edolas Lisanna arrive to keep from hurting the people there I didn't think about what you guys must have been going through here thinking I was dead!" Lisanna said.
"Its okay, we found you," Natsu said. "And I'm not gonna let anything happen to you again!"
He put his arm around her, causing her to blush
"He loves her!" Happy said as he flew off Lisanna.
"I… I care about her," Natsu said.
Wendy smiled at her brother.
Lisanna looked at him. Was he going to choose her over Lucy? She hoped so. But only time would tell.
…
Approaching Tenrou Island was a black airship with sinister looking designs all over it. The airship and base of Grimoire Heart, one of the most powerful members of the Baram Alliance, the coalition of dark guilds that banded together to achieve their evil ends. On board, the Grimoire Heart Guild Master Hades sat on his frown with his most powerful mages, the seven kin of Purgatory, as well his own soldiers and a group of three allies from another guild.
"We are almost ready everyone, my dear seven Kin of Purgatory, men of my guild, and honored guests!"
One of them, a wild looking blonde man with crazy red eyes and a psychotic grin on his face began to laugh. "The Fairy Tail guild has screwed up plans too many times! I will burn them and their island for that!"
"Be wary Zancrow," a woman with dark hair in a white battlesuit said. "They have many powerful wizards, their guildmaster Laxus is very strong, as is his grandfather, the ex-master Makarov. All of their S-class wizards are on the island as well.
"I still don't think we needed to take help from the other head guild!" Zancrow snapped. "We are the strongest Guild in Fiore! No! The whole world!"
"Ha! You humans could never equal the power of our Underworld king!" one of the guests said.
"Shut up you mutt! You'd never be able to beat me if we got into a fight!" Zancrow shouted.
"Zancrow enough!" Master Hades ordered. "Ultear is right, the Fairy Tail Guild has many strong members here. Salamander, his sister the young Sky Maiden, Titania, The She-Devil, Master Makarov, his grandson Laxus, Blacksteel of Phantom Lord, an element four member of the same guild, and Fairy Tail's ace himself, Gildarts. We must hold nothing back, and we needed to ask for Tartarus's help to be sure of victory. Besides we both have the goal to find Zeref, isn't that right Kyouka?"
The commander of the four members of Tartarus that had come to 'assist' Grimiore Heart, stepped forward holding an ancient book. Kyouka, a woman with a winged helmet that covered all but her eyes and mouth, though her green hair was still visible. With her were her cohorts, Jackal, an animal like man, and Keyes, a living skeleton carrying a staff, lastly was a mostly normal looking man in armor that bore the word Absolute Zero on the chest.
"Yes… we must return to Zeref!" Kyouka said. "We will find him, and bring about our goals. As is the will of Master E.N.D."
She stroked the book in her arms, a book with a red cover and part of a gold sun at the top with only three black letters. E.N.D. The fabled book of the most powerful demon Zeref had ever created.
Surprise! Didn't expect Grimoire Heart to have Tartarus members backing them up did you? Well, I felt that since I wanted to end this during the Tenrou Island Arc I might as well have them show up so I can wrap this whole story up without leaving too much out. And I did mention early on that Grimiore Heart might have a harder time against Fairy Tail if Laxus is already there. Plus Freed, Bickslow and Gildarts are all still there as well and didn't leave like in canon.
So E.N.D will play a role here now, which will coincide with the changes I have in mind for Zeref and maybe Acnologia as well. Things are gonna be tough for Fairy Tail now with the Seven Kin of Purgatory and four members of Tartarus there. Part 2 will conclude next chapter I think as it will be 34, and Part 1 ended at chapter 17. We are about to enter the final act!