Time for the S-Class Trial! I hope you all enjoy!
After a week of training, everyone involved in the trial, except for Erza, Mirajane and Gildarts, took a ship from Hargeon to Tenrou Island. Due to the intense heat, a majority of them were in swimsuits, except for Gray who was completely naked. A few who didn't seem bothered by it included Freed, Bickslow and Juvia.
"Juvia, aren't you hot in that?" Lisanna asked.
"Juvia is fine." Juvia replied. "But what is hot…"
She looked over at Zale, who was lying on the ground in black and blue trunks and sweating buckets.
"Is Zale's glistening, sexy body!" Juvia exclaimed like a fan girl. "All that sweat is really bringing out his sex appeal."
"Don't get used to it." Zale commented. "I hate sweating. But if it's any consolation, I have no problem getting wet."
"Juvia feels wet, indeed." Juvia said before realizing what she said and blushed from embarrassment. "B-because Juvia is made out of water! Yeah! That's it!"
Wendy, wearing a cute bikini and sitting in a beach chair, looked down at Zale.
"Why did Juvia stutter like that?" Wendy inquired.
"… You'll know when you're older." Zale replied.
Zale then looked over in Lucy's direction and, because of her bikini, couldn't help but stare at her curves. However, he immediately shot his head in the opposite direction with a blush on his face.
*NO!* He shouted at himself in his head. *I'm dating Juvia now! I can't be ogling other women!*
In the distance, a large tree protruding toward the sky could be seen along the horizon.
"Land ho!" Loke called out.
"Whoa!" Gray said as he walked to the edge of the ship to look at the sight, which prompted Wendy to cover her eyes with her hands.
Where the tree was rooted could finally be seen. It was an island with golden plants and at the center was the tree, but instead of a large bushel of leaves on top there was what looked like another island sitting on the branches. The sight of the island left everyone on the ship in awe. This was Tenrou Island.
"They say that fairies once lived on this island." Makarov said as he stood by the back mast, wearing a tropical shirt and shorts and fanning himself with a small fan. "And this is also the place where Fairy Tail's First Master, Mavis Vermillion, now rests."
"What's with those clothes?!" Gray questioned.
"Well, it's hot!" Makarov answered. "A nude guy has no right to complain! Now I shall reveal the nature of the first test!"
"The 'first' test?" Wendy asked and looked toward Zale, who was no standing up to hear the Master's words.
"Not only do the goals of the trial change, but also the number of tests." Zale explained. "For all I know, it could be as few as one or as many as ten, perhaps more."
"You see where that stream of smoke is rising from the shore?" Makarov asked.
Everyone turned around to see smoke coming from the island.
"Your first order of business is to make your way there." Makarov continued. "Once there, you'll find eight paths. Only one pair may go through one door. And the paths will proceed like this."
Right next to Makarov appeared a magical map showcasing how the paths were set up. There were eight entrances marked with numbers '1' to '8' and either led to one of two 'Battle' areas, three 'Intense Battle' areas with pictures of Erza, Mirajane and Gildarts and one 'Peaceful Path' area.
"Only the teams who have successfully completed their paths will pass the first test!" Makarov stated. "Of the eight paths, the 'Battle' routes are where two teams will bump into each other. Only one team can pass through to the end. Where it says 'Intense Battle', you won't be able to pass unless you defeat one of Fairy Tail's elite. Those are the toughest routes. And the 'Peaceful Path' is one where no battles are fought. It's an automatic pass to the second test. The first test is about strength and luck!"
Zale, among a few others, were somewhat flabbergasted that one of the tests was based on luck.
"So, in theory, at most six teams can pass." Evergreen said.
"N-not a chance!" Elfman shouted. "I don't think anybody could get past Gildarts, Erza or Mira!"
"And at worst, only three teams can pass…" Levy said.
"Sounds like fun!" Gajeel smiled while resting his elbow on Levy's head.
"The first test starts… NOW!" Makarov shouted.
"Huh?" Gray was a little confused.
"Aren't… we way out at sea?" Loke questioned.
Makarov grinned slyly and Zale had an idea.
*This is perfect!* Zale thought. *As a water wizard, Wendy and I can get quite a head start!*
"Let's go, Happy!" Natsu shouted as he jumped up.
"Aye, Sir!" Happy said upon picking up Natsu and ready to fly him off the ship.
"We're gonna be the first ones there!" Natsu said.
However, Natsu and Happy crashed into an invisible wall, which was then revealed to be one of Freed's enchantments. As it turned out, Freed had enchanted wings on himself and Bickslow was riding his totem dolls, both of them flying toward Tenrou Island.
"Relax!" Freed said. "That enchantment only lasts five minutes!"
"Why don't you just keep them in there for the entire test?" Bickslow asked.
"Because that would defeat the purpose of the test." Freed explained.
"Hey, Gramps, you just gonna let him do that?!" Gray yelled at Makarov.
"Well, it's not a race…" Makarov replied.
"RAAAAAGH!" Natsu growled. "Dammit!"
"But he'll set enchantments all over the island!" Zale argued.
"I know!" Lucy said. "Levy can…"
"I'm already on it, Lu-Lu!" Levy said as she was using a magic pen to rewrite the enchantment. "But I only opened it for me and Gajeel!"
Levy and Gajeel jumped off the ship and started swimming toward Tenrou Island. At the same time, Evergreen did the same since she knew Freed so well, and freed herself and Elfman from the enchantment.
Everyone else, however, had to wait five minutes for the enchantment to wear off before they could make their way to the island. Once it did, Natsu and Happy flew off as fast as they could while everyone else made a mad dash off the ship. Gray froze the water to create an ice path for him and Loke to the island. Thanks to Juvia's ability to turn into water and Lisanna's Animal Soul Magic transforming her into a fish, they were able to swim at great speed to the island's shore. Cana and Lucy also jumped into the water, but were somewhat amazed at the creative ways their competitors were getting to the island.
"Wendy!" Zale said as he knelt down like he was about to start a race. "Get on my back, backwards!"
"Why?" Wendy asked.
"On the count of three, use your roar." Zale requested. "Trust me."
"Okay." Wendy nodded.
Wendy lied back on Zale's back, locking her arms around his shoulders.
Zale blushed from feeling Wendy's skin touching his own. *Why am I feeling this way?! She's 12! Do I really have this problem with girls?!* He shook his head to regain his focus. "One…" Black water began to stream from Zale's hands and bare feet. "Two…" The streams began to intensify. "… Three!"
"Sky Dragon Roar!"
The black water Zale was firing from his body propelled him like a jet and Wendy's wind breath increased their speed, gliding them over the ocean all the way to the island's shore. When they finally arrived to where the smoke signal was emanating to see eight caves, five of which had their entrances blocked.
"Looks like a couple of the teams we were stuck with already made it here." Zale said. "Does your Dragon Slayer nose sense anything?"
Wendy sniffed the air. "I can't tell from here."
"Then it's purely guesswork." Zale surmised as he looked at the remaining routes. "Let's try route H."
"All right."
Zale and Wendy entered the cave with the sign 'H' in front of it and it became blocked once they were in. After walking a bit, Wendy stopped and looked over at a boulder.
"What's wrong, Wendy?" Zale asked.
"Could you go on without me, please?" Wendy asked. "I'll catch up to you."
"Why?"
"I…" Wendy squirmed a little bit and blushed. "I don't want to fight in my swimsuit!"
Zale just blankly stared at her for a second. "… Is that all?"
"I'm going to change behind that boulder, but I'll try to catch up as soon as I can."
"I'll walk slowly so you won't be too far behind if I end up having to fight."
"Thanks!" Wendy smiled.
Wendy went behind the boulder and Zale kept walking forward, though at a slower pace than he's usually comfortable with.
After a few minutes of walking, Zale stopped upon seeing a couple of familiar faces.
"Gray… Loke…"
Gray and Loke stood in a clearing, where the only way forward was barred off. Zale presumed that it would only open when one of the teams would come out victorious.
"Hey, Zale, what happened to your partner?" Gray asked.
"She'll be here in a bit." Zale answered.
"Looks like making S-Class will be easier than I thought." Gray smiled confidently.
"Don't underestimate me, Gray." Zale smirked.
"He's definitely not the Zale we used to know." Loke muttered to Gray.
"Yeah, ever since our war with Phantom, he's changed a lot." Gray said.
"It's because of Juvia, isn't it?" Loke guessed. "I don't blame him. Love can be a powerful thing. Just ask me and Lucy."
"Water God…" Zale surrounded his hands in black water and formed them into claws. "Hunter!"
Zale swung his aquatic claws at Gray and Loke, only for both of them to roll out of the way,
"Regulus Impact!" Loke shot a golden lion head from his fist at Zale.
The attack struck Zale, but he was only somewhat bruised by it.
"Ice Make: Geyser!"
Gray placed his hands on the ground and a pillar of ice was about to protrude from underneath Zale. Zale jumped out of the way and dodged the ice 'geyser' before he could get stuck in it.
"Wendy, I could really use your help right now!" Zale shouted into the cave.
"Lion Brilliance!" Loke raised his fist into the air and a bright light shined from it, blinding Zale with its radiance.
"Damn!" Zale cursed to himself.
"Ice Make: Hammer!"
Though Zale couldn't see it, he could feel a large ice hammer smash on top of him like he was a nail. After the light faded, Zale found himself on the ground with several bruises and stood up.
"That was a cheap trick." Zale said. "I know all's fair in love and war, but don't you have a shred of honor?"
"Screw honor." Gray replied. "S-Class is calling me." He then put his hands together. "Ice-Make-"
"Sky Dragon Wing Attack!"
A powerful gust of wind sent Gray and Loke skidding across the ground as Wendy ran to Zale's side, wearing a mostly green dress.
"Zale, are you okay?" Wendy asked.
"They banged me up pretty good, but I can still fight." Zale answered. "Let's take them down!"
"Regulus Gatling Impact!" Loke fired a series of lion heads at Zale and Wendy.
"Time for a double breath attack!" Zale said as he sucked in some air and puffed his cheeks. "Water God…"
"Sky Dragon…" Wendy did the same. "ROAR!"
"BELLOW!"
The twin breath attack blasted through the lion heads and sent Loke flying into a stalagmite. Zale and Wendy then moved their heads toward Gray, redirecting their breaths toward him.
"Ice-Make: Shield!"
An ice shield appeared in front of Gray and blocked the blast. Due to the pitch black color of Zale's water, he couldn't see a thing. However, eventually the black water stopped. As soon as Gray was able to see again, he saw that Wendy was still shooting her roar at him while Zale had both of his arms covered in black water.
"Just try to break through my shield!" Gray dared.
Zale then smirked. "Water God Pincer!"
"What did he say?!" Gray exclaimed.
The black water shot from Zale's arms and were directed toward Gray's sides, where his shield wasn't protecting him. Gray was struck by the attack, but he wasn't out yet. As he recovered, Zale came running at him with his right arm covered in black water.
"Water God Haymaker!"
Zale punched Gray with his right arm and sent him crashing into the cave wall. He then looked around to check on both opponents and saw they were both unconscious.
"We did it, Wendy!" Zale said.
"Yeah!" Wendy gave Zale a high five.
Just then, the bars blocking the way forward were removed and the two moved onward.
A/N: Next time is where the test gets really interesting, due to Grimoire Heart's interference, as well as the Magic Council. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed! Stay tuned for next time!