Hi everyone, thanks again for waiting. So, we finally begin the first chapter to the Tenrou Island arc, and it's gonna be one hell of a roller coaster filled with action and plenty of emotion. As I've stated before, this will be the last arc for the first part of my Fairy May Cry series. Once this arc is done, I'll start off the sequel that takes place after the Seven-Year-Time-Skip.
So, with nothing else needing to be said, let us get started.
The S-Class Trials
Lucy was humming happily in her bathroom as she washed her hair, all under the nice warm water of her shower. "Just what I needed." She said with a sigh to herself. "Between fighting dark wizards and demons, I could really use a break."
"The tub is pretty great."
"Yeah, it's the best…" Lucy's eyes widened when she saw Cana completely naked in her bathtub.
"If you ever want a roommate, I wouldn't mind living here at all." Cana noted.
"IT SEEMS YOU'RE MAKING YOURSELF RIGHT AT HOME TO ME!" Lucy comically exclaimed, getting more than a little annoyed about her friends breaking into her house. At least it wasn't Natsu or Dante this time. Lucy however saw an odd look on Cana's face, which managed to calm her down and joined her friend in the tub.
"What's up? Is something bothering you?" Lucy asked.
"No, I'm okay, but I gotta ask; do you, like, make a habit out of bathing with other people?" Cana asked.
"Do you make a habit out of breaking into houses? Seriously." Lucy questioned.
Cana's face didn't change. "Hey, you uh… heard about that Arkham-guy being Lady's dad and… what he did?"
Lucy's face became one of somber. "Yeah. I heard." It wasn't long after Devil Hand's defeat that Lucy learned from Lady that not only was Arkham her biological father, but he even sacrificed his own wife to become a devil; lied and manipulated everyone in his own guild, even deceiving Vergil and orchestrated the whole war to get what he wanted. "Makes what my dad tried to do seem like nothing, huh?"
"Yeah." Cana uttered. "Speaking of which, how are things going between you and him these days?"
Lucy was a bit surprised that Cana asked that. "Um… I don't know. Okay, I guess. But I haven't actually heard from him in a while." Cana sighed; Lucy knew something was bothering her. "Just spill it already. I'll always listen if you wanna talk…"
Cana stood up out of the bath. "Alright then. I've been seriously quitting the guild."
Lucy blinked for a second. "WHAT?!"
The Next Day – Fairy Tail Guildhall
"Can you believe that?!" Lucy exclaimed as she sat at the bar with her spirit, Plue, while Mira listened and cleaned some glasses. "I mean, I thought Cana was in Fairy Tail for life! I tried to get her to tell me why, but she wouldn't say!"
Mira still bore her usual smile. "I wouldn't worry about it. She always talks about quitting whenever this time of year rolls around."
"Say what?!" Lucy questioned. "Oh no, is something bad gonna happen?!"
"Kinda hope it does." Dante walked up as he leaned against the bar. "Been bored for some time. Could use a decent workout."
"What do you mean 'bored'?!" Lucy exclaimed. "Less than a week ago we were in the fight for our lives inside a freaking haunted tower!"
"Trust me, things like this are actually periodic for me." Dante waved off.
"Yeah, same for us even before you joined Fairy Tail, Dante." Mira said as she handed him a mug of beer. "I'm still a bit surprised you're not used to it already Lucy."
"Is it wrong that I want a chance to relax without worrying about the end of the world?!" Lucy comically complained.
Suddenly Natsu ran past the group, with his Exceed companion flying alongside him.
"Let's get to work, Happy!" Natsu exclaimed.
"Aye!" Happy shouted in agreement.
"Hey, if you're going on a job take me with you!" Lucy called to them.
"It's Solo-Mission-Season!" Natsu replied as he continued to run. "Sorry!"
"We'll hang out with you when we get back!" Happy said as well; only for Natsu to literally bump into Gray as he was on his way out. Naturally, the two butted heads.
"You better watch where you're going, you pink-haired-pyro!" Gray exclaimed.
"And you better stay out of my way Mr. Grump Panties!" Natsu shouted back.
"Do you guys really have time to stand around and argue?" Happy reminded them.
"Yeah, good point." Natsu and Gray said at the same time.
Gray walked toward Mira, in between Dante and Lucy. "I'm back."
"What, you forgot your pants again?" Dante joked.
"No time for that, I'm taking this job, Mira." Gray handed her a flyer before running out. "See ya."
"Bye-bye." Mira waved off. "Good luck."
"He's on a solo-gigue to?" Lucy wondered, only to be startled as Elfman suddenly appeared next to her to present a flyer to his elder sister as well.
"Hey, this is a job for a real man!" Elfman stated.
"Alright, be careful out there."
In less than a second, at least half a dozen wizards all piled in around Mira as Dante pulled Lucy out of the way, so they'd avoid being trampled.
"I'm gonna pull the trigger on this job, okay?" Alzack stated.
"Got my sights on this one!" Bisca said.
"I call dibs on this job!" Max exclaimed.
"Sorry pal, but its finders-keepers!" Warren exclaimed.
Jet and Droy butted heads. "The Mighty Team Shadowgear is splitting up for now!"
While Lucy looked in shock and held Plue protectively, Dante just looked in plain confusion. "Okay, what's gotten all them so hyped up?" The red-clad Devil Hunter asked.
"No idea." Lucy voiced in a frightened squeak.
"You guys will find out soon enough!" Mira pointed out as she raised her hand through the crowd around her.
Meanwhile Lisanna, Wendy, Modeus, and Lady sat at a separate table and looked towards Calra in surprise. "You can see into the future?!" The four of them questioned in surprise.
"Yes, a trait that the Exceed Queen and I share." Carla answered. "Both of us were blessed with a rare gift of clairvoyance."
"Not to sound kinda shitty but that could have seriously come in handy back at Temen-ni-gru." Lady complained slightly.
"I apologize." Carla said. "I wasn't aware I had this ability till after Edolas, and even then, I didn't know what to make of it. However, now that everything has calmed down, I have had some time to asses this ability; now I can say that I have a small degree of control over it."
"Wow, that's totally amazing Carla!" Wendy exclaimed with an amazed look in her eyes.
"So, can you tell me which guy is going to be my future husband?" Lisanna asked.
Lady rolled her eyes playfully with a smirk. "A hundred bucks says it's that fire-breathing moron."
"More than likely." Carla agreed. "However, I can't see that far ahead. But maybe… something sooner?"
Modeus seemed intrigued. "Such as?"
Carla pointed towards a table that Macao was sitting at while reading a newspaper. "Okay, keep an eye on Macao over there. I predict any moment know, Wakaba will walk up to him and start discussing the younger folks in the guild."
"Let's see." Wendy and Lisanna leaned in closely; even Lady and Modeus were interested as they listened as well.
As Carla predicted, Wakaba did indeed walk up to his friend. "What's shaking old timer."
"Hey pal." Macao greeted with a friendly smile.
"You're right!" Wendy exclaimed. "He walked up just like you said."
"Sshh, let's hear what they're saying." Lady said.
Wakaba sat down next to Macao. "We're getting to that time of year again buddy."
"Yeah, it really takes me back." Macao replied as all five of the eavesdroppers continued to listen.
"Those were the good old days, weren't they?" Wakaba reminisced.
"We were full of spunk back then." Macao agreed.
"Tell you what, this new crop is something else." Wakaba said. "Especially their derrieres."
That last comment only seemed to irritate Macao. "What!? No way!"
"You're more of a breast man?" Wakaba asked; which resulted in the two butting heads while they shared eager grins.
"Look, I'm trying to raise a kid here. I don't have time to go checking out butts!" Macao stated.
"That's right, you're a leg man aren't ya?" Wakaba teased.
"Now you're speaking my language." Macao smirked. "I'll stick behind a pair of legs any day."
This conversation only caused Lisanna and Carla to laugh somewhat nervously, Modeus looked somewhat disappointed as he had a protective hand on Wendy's head, while Lady just looked annoyed as she pinched the bridge of in-between her eyes.
Despite that, Wendy was still amazed with Carla's prediction. "That is so cool."
"Yeah, you hit it on the nose." Lisanna agreed. "You didn't tell us it would be so creepy though."
"I would have preferred that Wendy didn't hear something like that." Modeus stated.
"Can I please go over there and kill those idiots?" Lady moaned.
"Quite honestly, we should have all seen that coming." Carla commented.
"Still, I'm super impressed." Wendy said.
"However, I wouldn't become too reliant on it." Modeus began. "Despite its potential use, the future is never truly set in stone. It shifts and changes with each choice we make, so there really is no point in trying to predict it."
"He's got a point there." Lady agreed.
"Yes, you do make a valid remark." Carla said. "Besides that, I have much more to learn how to properly control it."
"Hey, changing the subject a bit, now that everything's calmed down a bit I gotta ask Modeus; what was it like to actually know someone like Sparda?" Lisanna asked excitedly with stars in her eyes.
Wendy seemed to be of equal excitement as she also had stars in her eyes. "Yeah, we always here these amazing stories, but you actually knew him personally!"
Modeus had a smile on his face. "What's there to say? Well, I guess you could say he carried traits from both his sons." He began to explain. "He had a level-head, while also carrying a rebellious nature."
"No surprise considering Dante's his kid." Lady commented with Carla nodding in agreement.
"But he also had a righteous spirit." Modeus continued. "He knew what was right and what was wrong; and he did everything he could to protect those who couldn't protect themselves, even taught others how to defend themselves as well. But what impressed me the most bedsides his swordsman ship was his brilliant strategies."
"Strategies?" Wendy and Lisanna asked at the same time.
"Indeed." Modeus confirmed. "Before he rebelled, he was Mundus' top general in the Underworld. He knew exactly how to win in virtually every conflict; how and where to apply who and what. And even if he did make a mistake or two, he would always learn from them and use that to improve himself even more. He never gave up, no matter what. That's what admired most about him."
"Wow!" Wendy voiced in amazement. "He sounds so cool!"
"I really wish we could have met him." Lisanna said.
"I'm certain he would have taken a liking to you all, that I know." Modeus voiced.
"He'd probably keep every moron in here from fighting just by walking in." Lady cracked.
"I doubt even Sparda could work such miracles." Carla joked.
Suddenly, everyone turned their attention toward the center of the guildhall as Trish, Erza, and Panther-Lily, engaged in a three-way sword-sparring-match. Such an action completely took Kinana by surprise.
"Hey guys, you shouldn't be doing that indoors!"
However, despite the constant clash of blades; Erza, Trish, and Lily each had grins on their faces. They were clearly enjoying this. With one final clash, the three broke off as they took a second to catch their breaths.
"That was a good workout, huh?" Trish voiced.
"You all had enough?" Erza said almost playfully just as Lily transformed back into his smaller form.
"Just like in Temen-ni-gru… I cannot stay in my original form for very long." Panther-Lily noted.
"Still, you got some real talent cat." Trish said. "Could probably give Dante a run for his money."
"That a challenge!?" Dante called out from the bar he was still at with Lucy.
"I don't see you coming over here pal!" Trish called back.
"I do apologize Dante!" Lily called to him as he sprouted his wings. "I cannot sustain my muscle form right now! But perhaps sometime later!"
Dante gave a finger salute. "Looking forward to it!"
Gajeel suddenly appeared with the group. "So Erza, Trish? What do you guys think? My cat is a force of nature, ain't he?"
Lily looked amused. "I'm assuming this is what the guild refers to as an S-Class skill-level?"
Lucy looked more annoyed than anything, but it was more towards her own confusion as to what everyone else was doing considering that whoever wasn't on a job was just minding their own business.
"I don't understand why so many people are freaking gun-ho about going out on jobs, while everyone else is just goofing off like there's nothing happening. It's like night-and-day." She commented while Plue still stuck close to her.
Mira smiled assuredly. "It'll all make sense to you tomorrow."
The Following Day
Pretty much everyone in Fairy Tail was all gathered together in the guildhall, all of them standing excitedly in front of the large stage in the back with the curtain closed over it. Nearly every one of them was awaiting a major announcement.
"What's all the commotion about?" Lily asked.
"Beats me." Gajeel responded.
"I think the Master's about to tell us about something big that's going to happen." Wendy guessed.
"Can't say that I'm excited." Carla voiced.
"Who knows?" Modeus said. "Perhaps it's actually good news."
Lady sighed. "I just hope it's not another apocalypse or anything like that."
"Don't get your hopes up." Trish replied.
Dante silently looked around and saw how excited many of his guildmates were.
"What's he going to say?" Alzack asked as he repeatedly pressed his fingers together. "The suspense is killing me!"
"We worked our little tails off, right? Don't worry." Bisca assured him.
Natsu's grin was still on his face as his head twitched left and right. "Just calm down Natsu. You got this."
"The tension here is huge. Very manly." Elfman commented, even Gray gave a single chuckle in agreement.
Dante saw that Lisanna was almost next to him. "Yo, what's going on here?"
She smiled to him almost playfully. "Give it a second, you'll see."
"I'm dying to know what's going on." Lucy commented as Juvia stood next to her.
"This is so unbelievably exciting." The Rain-Woman said. "Gray is almost within reach!" She said with hearts around her as Gray was about five feet away from her.
"Yeah, be still my heart." Lucy said sarcastically.
Despite the excitedness that everyone shared, the only one who seemed actually nervous was Cana as she said nothing and just waited for the announcement.
The curtain on the stage began to lift, resulting in everyone cheering at the reveal of Makarov alongside Erza, Mira, and Gildarts.
"Here we go!"
"Please don't make us wait any longer!"
"Yeah just tell us already!"
Those were among the many cheers, which only confused Kinana "I'm still so lost. Tell us what now?"
Makarov coughed to clear his throat as everyone became quiet to listen to him. "In accordance with the Fairy Tail guild's time-honored tradition… I will now announce this year's entrance for the S-Class Wizard Promotion Trials!"
With that reveal, the whole guild was in a massive uproar.
Lucy's eyes widened. "This is why everybody's been acting crazy lately!?"
"So that's what's going on, huh?" Dante commented with a smirk and crossed arms.
"Yep." Lisanna confirmed.
Natsu was suddenly lit with fire and excitement. "I'm all fired up now!"
"Please be quiet everyone!" Erza exclaimed to the guild.
"Shut up and let the Master finish talking!" Gildarts also exclaimed, which manage to calm everyone down as the continued to listen.
"The trial this year will take place on Tenrou Island." Makarov announced. "Our guild's most sacred ground."
"Tenrou Island?" Dante voiced. "That anything special."
"Oh yeah." Lisanna answered. "It's actually the resting place of Fairy Tail's founding master."
"Damn, that is special ain't it." Dante commented.
"Do you guys know what he's gonna make them do?" Lucy asked Max and Warren
"Well it's something different every year." Max answered.
"It's basically a seriously tough job." Warren added.
"But if you are able pull it off, he'll bump you up to an S-Class Wizard!" Alzack said as well.
"The strength that you possess inside…!" Makarov continued. "Your character, and your hearts; these are what I considered while making my selections! And I have chosen ten participants!"
"Natsu Dragneel!"
"Thank you, sir." Natsu raised his fist with a serious expression.
"You got this in the bag, buddy!" Happy complemented.
"Gray Fullbuster!"
"It's finally my time to move up." Gray smirked.
"Dante Redgrave!"
"Heh, sounds like a real party." Dante chuckled.
"I feel really bad for whoever's going against him." Lady chuckled.
"Yep, sucks to be everyone else." Trish added.
"Juvia Lockser!"
"Really? The Master choose me?" Juvia voiced in surprise.
"Elfman Strauss!"
"S-Class deserves a real man like me." Elfman smirked.
"Best of luck, Big Brother." Lisanna complemented.
"Lisanna Strauss!"
That took both Elfman and Lisanna by surprise. "Wait… I'm choosen for S-Class to?!"
"Didn't see that coming!" Elfman was beyond shocked.
"Cana Alberona!"
The aforementioned young woman said nothing as she only looked down, a great deal many thoughts were in her head.
"Freed Justine!"
"So, I'll be following in Laxus' footsteps." Freed spoke with a serious tone of voice.
"Levy McGarden!"
"I'm so stoked about this!" Levy voiced in excitement.
Jet and Droy both popped up with hearts flying around them. "Levy is totally gonna win this one!" They both shouted at the same time.
"And Mest Gryder!"
This was a man who bore short black hair and a cross-shaped scar near his right eye. He said nothing as his name was announced.
Dante however looked toward him with a suspicious expression. He never really heard that name before. Granted there were so many people in Fairy Tail that he lost count, but there was something about Mest that just didn't feel quite right.
Alzack sat on the ground, his body was grey with disappointment. "I worked so hard, so why didn't he pick me this year?"
Bisca kneeled down and put a hand on his shoulder, offering a supportive smile. "It's bound to happen someday. Buck up."
Even though everyone else wasn't picked; most of the guild seemed happy that all their friends were chosen.
"Looks like the master finally chose Natsu."
"Don't forget Gray."
"Of course, he'd pick Dante, he's a freaking beast!"
"I'm so proud of those kids." Macao commented with a smile. "Even Lisanna got picked."
"I bet they're pretty excited." Wakaba added.
"When I grow up, I'm gonna be an S-Class wizard to! You just watch me!" little Romeo said with an excited smile.
"Looks like this S-Class thing's gonna be huge with so many heavy hitters." Trish commented.
"If it turns into a big fight, it won't be pretty, that's for sure." Lady said.
"I get it now." Lucy said as she stood next to Wendy and Modeus. "Everyone wanted Master to pick them for the trial, so they worked their butts off to impress him."
"And it seems their hard work has paid off." Modeus commented with a nod of approval.
"I know you can do it you guys!" Wendy cheered for all her friends who were selected.
Lucy however looked in a surprise realization as she glanced towards Cana. "I wonder, was this why she was talking about quitting?"
"Although ten wizards have been selected, only one will emerge victorious!" Makarov continued. "The trial will begin in one week's time! So, you better step up your preparations!"
"He's only going to choose one?" Kinana questioned in surprise.
"I'm putting all my money on Dante."
"Yeah, that guy has got this in the bag."
"Natsu and Gray aren't slouches either."
Gajeel however seemed rather irritated that he wasn't selected. "How come he picked Juvia, but I get passed over?! I thought the old man liked me more than her!"
"You seem to have a shady reputation in the guild for some reason." Panther-Lily told him. "I get the feeling they don't trust you very much."
"That's crazy!" Gajeel exclaimed. "They can all trust me just fine! I… just can't tell them what I'm really doing around here." It was true, he was still working on espionage for Makarov to keep an eye on the Raven Tail guild, and was ordered to keep that secret for everyone else.
"Take it up with Erza." Lily said.
"Sorry, but you're not ready yet." Erza smirked in Gajeel's direction.
"This whole thing sucks!"
While everyone in the guild was still in a celebrating uproar, Carla had an amused smile on her face. "And as usual, everyone loses control."
Suddenly Carla gave an audible gasp as a vision suddenly appeared. She saw what appeared to be a massive tree falling apart and collapsing; Cana on her knees and in tears, Natsu's face filled with absolute terror, and even Dante lying on the ground completely covered in blood. But what stuck out the most was the appearance of a man she's never seen before. A man with black hair and black eyes, wearing a black and white robe. His eyes were filled with an absence of life, as if he was the embodiment of death itself.
Wendy and Modeus noticed Carla's expression and they both became worried.
"Hey, is something wrong Carla?" Wendy asked.
"No… I'm fine." Carla was brought of her vision.
"Are you certain?" Modeus asked. "You looked as if you've seen a ghost."
"Yes… I'm alright." However, Carla's eyes were still filled with fear. "Who was that?" Modeus noticed the fear that lingered in her eyes and looked at her with a serious expression. Maybe this had something to do with her clairvoyance? He made a note to speak to her about this later as now didn't seem like the appropriate time.
Everyone directed their attention back towards Makarov, Erza, Mira, and Gildarts as the Master continued his announcement.
"For the benefit of our newcomers, let's go over the rules of the challenge, shall we?"
"The ten participants will each choose a partner." Mira announced. "This person will also be allowed to train with them in the week leading up to the event."
"A partner?" Lucy questioned in surprise.
"Yeah, ultimately it's a battle between two-person teams." Max informed.
"A big part of it is putting their friendships to the test as well." Warren added.
"Guess it'll give other people an advantage if they aren't as strong as some of the other participants." Trish said.
"Unless their partner is about as strong as they are, so their team could potentially be unstoppable." Lady voiced.
"Observe these two rules when choosing your partner." Erza informed everyone. "Number one, they must be a member of Fairy Tail. And number two, your choice cannot be an S-Class wizard."
"Makes sense." Modeus nodded with Gajeel giving an acknowledged grunt.
"But that only rules out a hand-full of people." Lily said. "Neither Erza, Mirajane, nor Gildarts can be chosen."
"Guess a team with those guys on it will be pretty hard to beat." Wendy commented as Carla still had a serious expression on her face, still thinking about the vision she just had.
"We'll reveal all the particular details of the trial once we arrive on Tenrou Island." Makarov continued. "But know that you'll have to get past Erza to claim victory."
That revelation hit all the Fairy Tail members hard, even those not selected as they looked absolutely shocked beyond belief.
"And I'll be doing my very best to help weed out the rest of you right beside her." Mira added cheerily.
Now shock had given way to absolute terror for most of the guild. All except for just a handful of people.
"So, the only way somebody can become an S-Class wizard is by defeating Erza and Mirajane?!" Lucy questioned, still in shock herself.
"But the rumor has it that they've been ordered to hold back a little bit." Max said.
"I still don't envy anybody that has to take them on." Warren also said.
"Quit your belly-aching!" Gildarts stated to the guild with a smirk still on his face. "The three of us had to go through this trial. It's only fair you do to."
"No way!" Elfman's face was completely pale. "He said the three of us?!"
"I'm starting to wish I wasn't picked." Lisanna voiced out of fear.
"Sweet tuna!" Happy exclaimed.
Natsu however seemed more excited than anything else. "I'm finally gonna fight Old Man Gildarts!" He voiced excitedly with a flame in his mouth.
"That's not good news!" Gray comically exclaimed to Natsu out of fear.
Dante had a smirk on his face. "So, either I beat the crap out of some other participant, or I go up against Fairy Tail's big three? Sounds like one hell of a party."
Cana said nothing as her face had an even more serious expression as she glanced in Gildarts direction.
"The ten participants I named earlier, and their chosen partners are asked to meet at the port of Hargeon one week from today." Makarov made his final announcement. "So, get to work."
Once the announcement was all finished; everyone went off to either their own business or to talk about the upcoming trials. One such group included Dante, Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Happy, Lisanna, Elfman, Modeus, Wendy, Carla, Lady, Juvia, and Trish as they all sat at a table together.
"Man, they set the bar crazy high this year." Gray noted.
"I'm actually more than a bit excited." Dante said. "The greater the challenge, the better."
"You certainly are enthusiastic, Dante." Lisanna told him. "Quite frankly, I'm still surprised I got picked. I only just got back to Fairy Tail recently."
"Don't forget, you did spend two years in Edolas helping that world's Fairy Tail in fighting a corrupt empire." Modeus informed. "Not to mention you were instrumental in defeating Devil Hand."
"Yeah, I'd say you earned your spot to." Trish agreed.
"Plus, that new Dragon Soul power of yours is totally gonna kick butt!" Happy exclaimed excitedly.
"Awe, thanks guys." Lisanna said in a sincere tone.
Elfman then suddenly cried comical tears of joy. "My little sister is so grown up! So manly!"
"Geeze, get a hold of yourself." Lady chastised Elfman.
"I'm still surprised that Natsu and Gray haven't been chosen for this thing before." Lucy said.
"I'm ready for the big time!" Natsu exclaimed. "S-Class here I come!" He shot fire from his mouth into the air.
"Not if I have anything to say about it, pyro." Dante smirked, challenging Natsu.
"This all sounds very tough, but I still wish you guys the best of luck." Wendy told everyone at the table participating.
Lucy and some other people at the table glanced in one direction to see Freed talking with his fellow Thunder Legion member, Bickslow.
"I'll be counting on you." Freed said with a smile.
"Don't worry, I got your back old buddy!" Bickslow stated with a wide grin.
"That's right!" His dolls all agreed.
"We need an S-Class man in our ranks now that Laxus ain't around." Bickslow continued. "He's got big shoes to fill, but I can't think of anyone who can do it better. Besides, we gotta show that everyone that the Thunder Legion's still got it!"
"Hell yeah!" The dolls shouted.
Lucy winced slightly. "Looks like Freed's partner's gonna be Bickslow. I think they'll be a pretty tough team to beat."
"Geeze Lucy, way to be encouraging." Happy said sarcastically.
"Speaking of partners, do you know who you're gonna choose Natsu?" Lucy asked him.
"I'm going with my little buddy of course." Natsu said, referring to Happy.
"Aye!"
"Hey, not so fast pinky!" Elfman stated. "If this whole thing turs out to be a race, having a partner that can fly is an unfair advantage!"
"Then pick someone who can fly yourself." Lady said.
"Yep, it seems fair to me." Lisanna agreed.
"I'm cool with it to." Gray also said with his own smirk. "If it ends up being a battle, it'll be a disadvantage."
"I'm sitting right here, you know!" Happy exclaimed.
"Ah don't beat the fur-ball down too hard." Dante patted Happy's head. "He actually helped me out a lot back in Temen-ni-gru. We even took down the leader of the Seven Sins together, right Happy?"
"Aye sir! That was awesome!" Happy stated. "But Sorry Dante, Natsu and I are gonna kick your butt in the trials! You just watch, I'll make him an S-Class wizard before you now it!"
"Better get ready for a major thrashing Demon-Boy!" Natsu grinned as he butted heads with Dante who grinned back.
"Same to you, Dragon-Breath." Dante shot back.
Happy and Natsu immediately ran out of the guildhall as fast as they could. "Let's go pal!" Happy exclaimed as he flew.
"Screw a bunch of sitting around, we got training to do!" Natsu shouted as well as he ran.
"Aye sir!"
Lisanna gave a reminiscent sigh as she looked in Natsu's direction with dreamy eyes. "Good luck Natsu." She turned towards Lucy as well as Dante. "He's always believed that if he could become a more powerful wizard, he'd be able to see Igneel again."
"I can relate to that." Dante said. "So, I imagine he's got a lot more motivation than most other people here."
"Maybe so." Lucy seemed to agree as she smiled in the direction Natsu ran off. "Don't worry Natsu. You'll see him someday."
"So, Dante, you got any idea who you want as your partner?" Wendy asked.
"Yep. Me and Lady." Dante answered right away.
"Wait… you want me as your partner?" Lady asked, more than a bit surprise.
"Why not? We've worked together before and we do make a pretty kick-ass team." Dante said.
"In more ways than one." Trish thought with a knowing smirk on her face.
"So, what do you say?" Dante offered Lady his hand to shake. "You've kicked demons to the curb in sleep, I think you can handle these guys. You with me?"
Lady formed a smirk on her face as well. "Let's do it!" She shook his hand.
Despite the excitedness being shared at the table, Juvia seemed actually nervous as she shook her shoulders up and down. "I think… I might prefer to withdraw from the trial this year."
"Huh? But why?" Wendy voiced in surprise.
"Seriously, you're gonna pull out of an opportunity like this? Seems like a real waste." Trish commented.
Juvia's cheeks turned pink. "Well… it's just… I much rather be someone's partner than rival."
"Say what?" Gray asked.
"Well I mean… If I… If it were my choice…" Juvia stuttered.
"You want to be the ice-stripper's partner, right?" Dante asked straightforwardly, causing Juvia's face to turn red.
"Who you are calling a stripper, huh?!" Gray comically exclaimed as he pointed to Dante.
"Come on, everyone knows it's true." Dante looked more annoyed than anything else.
"Quite frankly, I'm surprised you still have any clothes on at all." Lady voiced.
"Yeah sorry Gray, I gotta go with everyone else on this one." Lisanna smiled apologetically, resulting in an anime anger mark forming on Gray. "But still, I'm surprised Juvia. This is a really good opportunity for you, you really wanna throw it away?"
"I… I don't really…" Juvia continued to stutter but gave a slight yelp in surprise when Modeus put a hand on her shoulder.
"Why don't I be your partner for the trail, Juvia." Modeus said with a sincere smile.
"What…?! But… why would you… want to partner with me?" Juvia asked in surprise.
"The Master choose you for a reason." Modeus began. "He clearly sees potential in you, and I would hate to see you throw it away." He leaned in close and whispered into her ear. "And if you manage to win it and become an S-Class, you may even earn admiration from Gray and he'll look up to you quite a bit."
Juvia's eyes widened as she could already see it. She could see herself standing tall on a large mountaintop as a powerful light shined on her. Gray would be kneeling towards her, with arms open in pure admiration as he would openly voice just how strong and wonderful she is. And that was all she needed.
"Yes! Let's do it!" She immediately both grabbed Modeus' hands and had a determined and grateful smile on her face. "Modeus, thank you so much for wanting to be my partner! Let us win this thing!"
"You are very welcome." Modeus nodded.
"That was solved rather quickly." Carla noted.
"Better be careful ice-boy, or else you might lose your woman." Dante teased, resulting in Gray grumbling.
"Oh, shut up Dante."
"Speaking of which, you got your partner picked out Gray?" Lucy asked.
Gray smirked. "Oh yeah."
Suddenly, Loke appeared out of nowhere and walked up to the table. "Hey, long time no see you guys."
"YOU'RE USING ONE OF MY SPIRITS!" Lucy comically exclaimed as most of the group looked in shock.
"Seriously?!" Elfman was also quite surprised.
"We worked this whole thing out a year ago." Gray informed.
"Way to think ahead ice-boy." Trish noted.
"Please don't take this too hard Lucy, but I'm gonna have to put a hold on our contract while I team up with Gray." Loke told her. "Just in case you're wondering, I used my own power to pass through the gate. So, don't worry about running out of magic because of me."
Lucy was still in shock at this reveal. "Kay… But I kinda wish you would have run this by me first!"
Meanwhile; Natsu and Happy were currently at their own personal house just on the outskirts of Magnolia. It was snowing pretty hard, but the duo barley even noticed as they immediately got to work on their training.
Natsu gave an excited yell. "Alright Happy it's time to get started on some hard-core training!"
"Aye-aye sir!"
"What should we do?" Natsu asked. "I don't even know what to start with."
"Well it's snowing right now so the choice is pretty clear to me!" Happy voiced.
"Right you are old pal, let the training begin!" Natsu suddenly found himself tied to a tree. "Wait hold on!"
Happy appeared on a hilltop with several massive boulders. "For the first exercise, you'll be working on defense techniques by stopping these boulders using only your body!"
"CAN'T WE TRY SOMETHING ELSE INSTEAD!?" Natsu screamed.
Fairy Tail Guildhall
"Wait a minute Loke, are you still a full-fledged member of the guild?" Elfman questioned considering he was one of Lucy's celestial spirits.
"Hmm, mm." Loke confirmed as he took off his shirt and revealed the green Fairy Tail emblem on his back. "See? I'm still a proud Fairy Tail wizard, and as such it's my duty to help Gray reach his full potential and make it to S-Class."
"I appreciate the help buddy." Gray said.
"I've got your back." Loke assured.
Lucy had a pouty look on her face. "I don't remember these guys being each other's BFFs before today."
"Well they're all set." Lady noted. "What about you, kid? You got a partner in mind?" She asked Lisanna.
"Maybe…" Lisanna thought for a little bit before she came up with an idea. "Hey Lucy, you want to be my partner?"
"Wait, you want me?" Lucy voiced in surprise.
"Yeah, we already make a pretty good team." Lisanna said. "We survived Temen-ni-gru together, and you took down that Asmodeua lady, remember?"
Lucy looked in surprise before she took a second to think. "Actually, that wasn't all me. Angel… sorry, Sorano helped me out back there. I'm not even sure what I did."
"Urano Metria." Loke informed with a serious look on his face. "It's a very powerful spell that only a handful Celestial Wizards have pulled off, not easy to do."
"Well, do you think I can use it right now?" Lucy asked.
Loke sighed. "Sorry, but I don't think so. You only pulled it off back then because Sorano gave you a significant magic boost. You're going to need to get a lot stronger before you're ready to use it on your own."
Lucy had a disappointed but understanding look on her face. "I see. Sorry Lisanna, I appreciate that you considered me, but given who your competition is, you're gonna want someone who's power is a bit more reliable to give you the best chance."
"I understand." Lisanna nodded. "But don't be too hard on yourself, I still think you're a great wizard." This helped Lucy to smile and feel better.
"Well since you're still looking for someone, how about you team up with me?" Trish stood up and walked over to Lisanna.
"Trish? You want to be my partner?" Lisanna asked in surprise.
"Think about it." Trish began. "That Dragon Soul of yours is really kick-ass, but if you run into your fire-breathing boyfriend, it's not gonna do much considering he actually eats fire."
Lisanna chuckled nervously. If she went up against Natsu, she would definitely have a hard time against him. "Yeah good point."
"But I don't use fire." Trish said as she opened her hand and showed off a bit of her lightning-power. "He won't be able to eat this. Plus I've got a lot experience fighting demons to, considering I've been Dante's partner for a while long before we joined Fairy Tail. We go up against him, I can give you a few pointers that can trip him up."
"You sure you wanna say that with me sitting right here?" Dante teased, but Trish ignored him.
"What do you say, kid? S-Class. Bring it." Trish held out her hand with a determined grin.
Lisanna mirrored her expression as she took her partner's hand. "You got me, Trish. I'm all fired-up now!"
"Well, looks like everyone here got their own partner." Modeus noted. "Though I don't believe Cana or Levy have selected one yet."
"Yeah where Cana is anyway?" Wendy asked. "I haven't seen her since the Master's announcement." Lucy had a concerned look on her face, still thinking about how weird Cana's been acting lately.
Elfman suddenly shouted in comic anguish as streams of tears poured out of his eyes like waterfalls. "How come nobody wants to partner with me?! Don't they think I'm a real man!?"
"What are you talking about?" Modeus asked. "I assumed you already had someone." He motioned over to the bar. Elfman looked in the same direction to see Evergreen sitting on a stool and giving a fierce glare towards Elfman.
"Yeah, Evergreen's been giving you such an intense stare, I thought she was with you." Lisanna told her brother.
"That's one cold stare." Dante noted. "Wonder what's gotten into her."
"Think she might be upset that Freed picked Bickslow as his partner over her." Lucy assumed.
"Well there ya go." Dante said to Elfman. "Just pick her." He noticed the look of comic fear in Elfman's eyes. "What's with you? She not manly enough for ya?"
"Her intense stair is actually more like… petrifying!" Elfman said as a chill went down his spine. No doubt he was still traumatized from being turned into stone by her during the Battle of Fairy Tail.
Natsu and Happy's Residence
"Here we go!" Happy exclaimed. "Special Exercise Number Fifteen will definitely pump up those skinny leg muscles!"
Natsu was hopping across the ground while holding a massive boulder over his back. Only for him to trip and fall over with the boulder comically crushing him.
"Hey, you wanna take a break?" Happy asked.
"Ain't nothing stopping me!" Natsu wheezed with the boulder still on top of him. "Let's move onto the next one!"
"Special Exercise Number Sixteen!" Happy exclaimed as a tree log swung in Natsu's direction, but he was able to catch it with some effort.
Gildarts happened to be passing through as he saw how excited and hardworking Natsu was. He couldn't help but smirk in both amusement and pride. "Guess I better be heading to Tenrou Island. I'll see you there Natsu." He said quietly as he walked off.
Natsu readied a fist of fire to punch the log. "Those S-Class hot-shots think they're going to be able to stand in my way, huh?!" He shattered the log with a single punch. "I like to see them try!"
"Aye sir!"
Fairy Tail Guildhall
"Master choose you!"
"You're going to be an amazing S-Class Wizard!"
Jet and Droy both continued to sing their praises to Levy as she sat down on a bench, while she couldn't feel more excited about being selected.
"You're gonna pick me to be your partner, aren't ya?" Droy asked Levy.
"You instead of me?!" Jet argued. "I'm a hundred times faster!"
"Let's face it, I'm the better fighter!"
"Whatever, you just got a thing for Levy!"
"Oh, and you don't!?"
Levy's excitement died down as she was already growing tired about her teammates' constant arguing. However, Gajeel suddenly appeared behind her with crossed arms.
"If you really want to make it to S-Class, you should pick me instead of those two clowns." The Iron Dragon Slayer said, causing Jet and Droy's jaws to drop.
She certainly did not expect Gajeel of all people to volunteer to help her. "Seriously?!"
"I got a chance to beat up on all those other idiots if we do this, don't I?" Gajeel said.
Levy sighed. "I guess there's going to be some fighting involved. But I'm so puny and weak. Between Natsu, or Gray, especially Dante, we won't even last five seconds!"
Gajeel then proceeded to pick up the smaller girl by the back of her shirt and lifted her off the ground. "Don't go wimping out before the whole thing gets started, ya hear?"
"Hey let go! Please put me down!"
"I'll make you bigger than you've ever been, little girl." Gajeel said with a serious tone of voice. This caused Levy to blush; and Jet and Droy to sink in even more comical despair. Panther-Lily saw this exchanged and had a proud smile on his face with how mature his friend was acting.
Natsu and Happy's Residence.
With the duo taking a quick break for some training, Natsu took the time to sit on a hilltop that overlooked the entire town of Magnolia. He sat in silence, deep in thought as he held his scarf, thinking about his adoptive father.
"Yo."
He turned around in surprise to see a certain red-clad Devil Hunter walking toward him.
"Dante, what are you doing?"
"Could ask you the same. Not like you to just stare off into space like that." Dante walked up next to Natsu. The Fire Dragon Slayer looked on, not saying anything else. "Thinking about your old man?"
"Yeah."
"I know what that's like." Dante sat down next to him.
Meanwhile; Wendy and Modeus were walking down another area of Magnolia with Carla in Wendy's arms.
"How come you've been so quiet today Carla?" Wendy asked. "I wish you'd tell me what's bothering you."
"It's your clairvoyance, isn't it?" Modeus asked. "You saw something, didn't you?"
Carla gave a single nod. "I'm not sure what to make of what I saw, but I just can't help but get this feeling that something awful is about to happen at the trial."
"Perhaps you should tell the Master, so that he would be prepared." Modeus advised.
"Yes, maybe." Carla though that was a good idea. "Wendy, I don't want you to have any part of it, understand?"
"I see…" Wendy looked down.
"You seem disappointed." Modeus noted "Wendy, what's wrong?"
"Well, to be honest, I was kind of hoping that Natsu or Dante would pick me as their partner." Wendy said honestly. "I mean, I get why they chose Happy and Lady, I just…"
"You wish you would get a chance to actually fight alongside them and prove yourself?" Modeus asked.
Wendy said nothing but gave a nod in confirmation.
"You shouldn't be so impatient Wendy." Carla said. "You haven't been training for very long, so you still have quite a way to go. You can't honestly expect to be on their level overnight."
"Yeah, I know that." Wendy said. "I just want to help my friends as best I can as soon as I can."
Modeus place a hand on her head, causing Wendy to look up to him with a smile. "Don't worry. I promise that you will get much stronger; you may not be ready quite yet, but you may be stronger than you're giving yourself credit for."
Wendy smiled back at him. "Thank you Modeus."
"I wouldn't say that you're not ready at all, Sky Maiden." A new voice spoke up.
The three turned around to see someone else had approached them. "Oh, it's you." Wendy said. "Um… who are you again?"
"My name's Mest Gryder. I was Mystogen's pupil."
Wendy was taken by surprise, as was Carla. However, Modeus couldn't help but look with a serious expression; there was something about Mest just didn't feel right.
Natsu and Happy Residence.
"Soup's on!" Happy ran out of the house. "You ready to eat!" He however looked in surprise to see Lady leaning back against the wall. "Lady? What are you doing here?"
Lady said nothing as she had a simple smile and pointed to the hilltop to reveal Dante and Natsu sitting together and talking with one another.
"This is it. I'm finally getting my big chance." Natsu said with a serious tone of voice. "I will become an S-Class wizard!"
"You definitely got what it takes, I'll tell ya that much." Dante said. "But just know, I'm not gonna make it easy for you." He said with a smirk of both confidence and sincerity.
"I know, I'm counting on it." Natsu had the same expression as he and Dante shared a fist-bump. "So, what do you say? Wanna get some training? Gramps didn't say anything about us not training together?"
"No, he didn't." Dante confirmed as he got back up and drew Rebellion just as Natsu stood up and lit both his fists on fire. "Let's go!"
"Right!"
The two clashed as Happy and Lady couldn't help but look with smiles. "Look at those two. They really are the best of friends, aren't they?" Happy said.
"Got that right." Lady agreed. "So, since they're going at it, you wanna take a crack at me?" She smirked towards Happy who suddenly became spooked.
"Uh... no thanks..." The blue Exceed shivered, causing Lady to chuckle in amusement.
Meanwhile; Lucy, Lisanna, and Trish all walked together down one street in Magnolia. "Wow, I didn't think it ever snowed in Magnolia." Lucy said as she held her hands out to catch some of the flakes.
"It actually snows here pretty often." Lisanna said. "It's one of the things I missed about this town. It's always so beautiful when it snows."
"Yeah, not half bad." Trish voiced. However, as they passed an alleyway, Trish noticed something that caused her to look in surprise. "Hey guys..."
Lucy and Lisanna looked in the alleyway, only for them to both look comically shocked at the sight of Cana passed out with several bottles of beer and liquor all around her.
Lucy's Apartment
The three women brought Cana back to Lucy's residence where she got cleaned up and warm. Her clothes were in the wash, so she was given a blanket for decency and warmth.
"I know you're a heavy drinker Cana, but that's crazy even for you." Lisanna voiced with concern.
"Yeah, guess I overdid it." Cana said.
"That's an understatement." Trish muttered. "That much booze could even knock Dante out."
"But seriously, thanks." Cana said honestly. "I could have frozen my butt off out there."
"No joke." Lucy told her as she brought out a tray of warm tea for them all to share. "Now you wanna tell me why you've been acting like such a lunatic lately."
"It's the S-Class trials again, isn't it?" Lisanna asked, having seen Cana like this herself before.
"Yep." Cana nodded in confirmation.
"Does this have something to do with you talking about quitting the guild?" Lucy asked.
"Wait, what?" Trish questioned in surprise. "You're quitting?!"
"She's always said stuff like that, every year she's been selected for the S-Class trial." Lisanna informed.
"You we're chosen before?" Trish looked towards Cana in even further surprise.
Cana looked down. "This will be my fifth trial. That means I've tried four times, but I've never been able to go away. Cause I suck."
"Aw don't be silly, is that all?" Lucy asked. "Just because you didn't make it before, doesn't mean you can't."
"Cana, you don't suck." Trish said. "You kicked all sorts of demon ass back at Temen-ni-gru, remember?"
"I'm the only person who's failed four times." Cana replied, still not feeling any better. "That's why, this will be my last one. If I don't pass it this time, I'm gonna leave Fairy Tail."
"Cana…" Lisanna noticed just how seriously her friend was speaking. This wasn't the alcohol talking, she was actually being serious. "Look, even if you don't pass this time, there's always next year. There are plenty of people in the guild that aren't S-Class…"
"Well I don't wanna be one of those losers okay?!" Cana suddenly shouted; catching all three of them by surprise.
"Okay, what the hell has gotten into you?" Trish questioned; she was starting to lose her patience. "You're usually one of the most laidback people in the guild, why are you so hung up about this stupid trial? What's so important that you'd actually consider quitting?!"
Cana lowered her head even more. "I have to be an S-Class wizard… or I'll never be able to look him in the eye…"
She then told Lucy, Lisanna, and Trish her reason for becoming an S-Class. Naturally all three of them were beyond shocked. Even Lisanna who knew Cana the longest didn't see this coming! Her own eyes wavered as she covered her mouth with one of her hands. How could she not have known about this?! Lucy's eyes shook as her mouth hung open, even Trish was shocked. Tears flowed freely down Cana's eyes as she finished explaining to them.
"Do you understand…" Cana muttered. "That's why… if I don't make it this time…I'm quitting Fairy Tail for good. My mind's made up."
"Cana I… I'm so sorry…" Lisanna choked, tears welling up in her eyes. "I had no idea… we've been friends for years… why didn't… I should have known I…!" Lisanna couldn't finish as she was still in shock. Even Trish had been rendered speechless.
"But who am I kidding?" Cana continued to mutter. "I should just quit now." That took all three of them by surprise. "I mean… I'm going up against Dante of all people. I don't stand a chance against him! So maybe… I should just…"
Lucy suddenly stood up. "Cana, please let me be your partner! Fairy Tail just wouldn't be the same without you!" Cana looked up to Lucy in surprise, even Trish and Lisanna were stunned themselves. "I promise I can help you become an S-Class wizard!" Lucy vowed with tears in her own eyes. She knew she recently said she doubted her power to be reliable, yet she was still willing to throw her all in and help Cana in anyway she could.
"Thank you…" Cana uttered. She turned towards her other friend. "Lisanna… if you and I go against each other, don't you dare hold back on me! I have to become an S-Class, but I also want to earn it! I don't want you to hand it to me so… so if we fight… don't hold back. Promise me that you won't hold back!"
Lisanna had no idea what to say to that. Could she really do that? She loved Cana as much as she loved everyone else in Fairy Tail, they grew up together. Just the thought of her leaving was almost unbearable; and she would never forgive herself if she was responsible for her quitting. Lisanna looked towards Trish who had a serious expression, the blonde demon gave a nod of confirmation saying it was alright.
"Okay Cana, I promise." Lisanna told her, causing Cana to gain something of a small smile.
One Week Later
All ten of the S-Class participants and each of their chosen partners had all gathered together at the Port of Hargeon. Dante and Lady, Natsu and Happy, Lucy and Cana, Lisanna and Trish, Juvia and Modeus, Gray and Loke, Elfman and Evergreen, Levy and Gajeel, Feed and Bickslow, even Mest and Wendy all met up at the docks where a large ship was awaiting their arrival.
Many were excited while others were serious; but they all had one thing in common. They were going to give their all in this trial. Little did they know however that an even more treacherous trial awaited all of them; and nothing could prepare them for them threat they would soon face.
Done.
Well, we have our S-Class teams all chosen…
*Dante and Lady
*Natsu and Happy
*Cana and Lucy
*Lisanna and Trish
*Gray and Loke
*Levy and Gajeel
*Juvia and Modeus
*Elfman and Evergreen
*Freed and Bickslow
*Mest and Wendy
But who will face who in the coming trial? Some of these fights will be the same as in the cannon Fairy Tail anime, some will be different; not saying which though. No spoilers.
Mest has finally made his debut; and already it seems that Dante and Modeus are beginning to notice something strange about him. And it also seem that Lucy, Lisanna, and Trish know Cana's secret and why she so desperately wants to be an S-Class wizard. Of course, that will all be the least of their worries as what starts out as a trial will become a war for survival. What happens next? Find out next time with Fairy May Cry.