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AN:Hello everyone I didn't forget this story don't worry, I just started by summer job (even tho it started before the real summer lol) and I've been busy getting used to it. BUT I swear I wont drop this so don't worry, also I don't want to update this every month of course, I'll do my best. I'll try to upload three more chapters this week-end :)
I'm really happy with all the reviews and knowing someone is reading my story, I hope you will enjoy it even more. I leave you with a little chapter today but I'll be back with 3 more soon :D
Disclaimer: FT characters mencioned below belong to Hiro sensei!
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Chapter 15: Going down
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"Well, I could've done much better." Natsu bragged, after the first match.
Gajeel had won for a little second above his opponent, Rogue, whom was now even angrier than before. Sting was trying to calm him down but scolding him at the same time, if that was even possible.
"I won, didn't I?" Gajeel interjected, not liking the way Natsu was bragging about something he didn't even try to do.
"But, where is Erza? She didn't show herself for the first match, that's weird." Lucy pointed out, knowing her best friend wouldn't ever do something like that.
"Ah, I told her Gajeel would be doing the first one and since she needed to do something important she said she would be coming in after the first match." Ultear explained, trying to find an acceptable excuse, after all, being busy and having something important to do was a normal thing for the president.
"What about your friend, where is he?" Natsu asked, frowning.
"He… he always do that, don't worry, he will be here soon." Ultear chuckled, she could only smile by the thought of two of her friends, doing whatever they were doing. But hoped they didn't forget to come before it was too late, they would be leaving in 15 minutes to the river, where they would be starting the rafting competition.
Ultear noticed Minerva just coming in, but that didn't surprise her much, that menacing girl only appeared when she needed to.
"So, you lost Rogue." The dark girl said with a disapproving look.
Rogue glanced down at his feet, ashamed for the loss, but didn't comment on anything.
"Well, it's okay, we only need three wins." Sting said, determinated.
Lucy smirked, thinking they were too optimistic. She was about to talk to Natsu about it when she spotted a similar red hair. She immediately beamed in her friend's direction and hugged her without hesitation, ignoring completely her blue haired company boy.
"L…Lucy…" Erza tried to leave her friend's arms as to be careful with her now fully treated wound. Jellal gave her Ultear's jacket earlier since her own was tinged with blood, which she was grateful to.
"There you are Erza." Natsu shouted happily. "We won the first match!"
"Hey, I won the first match!" Corrected Gajeel.
"Isn't it the same? We are a team." Natsu muttered.
"We will have to move to the next one." Gray interfered when Natsu and Gajeel started their own fight. "But why were you two together?" He added, confused with both appearing at the same time, he never saw them together before, he thought they didn't even know each other.
"W…We weren't together, we just came in together." Erza mumbled, nervously. Is not that she was embarrassed that they were together, but she didn't understand their sudden relationship either, were they becoming friends, maybe?
Jellal smirked and decided to not say anything else, after all, he himself didn't exactly know why he helped her before or why he was with her this right moment.
Gray narrowed his eyes but ignored his deep feeling telling him there was something wrong with these two and decided to change the subject. "Well, I bet you are ready to the next competition... where is Gildarts anyway?"
"He went to take a drink, he will be back soon." Ultear explained, coming closer to the group.
She glanced at Erza first, smiling softly, she was happy now that she didn't see any blood on her, but she also kind of wanted to know what happened. Ultear then glanced to the right where Jellal was and when she felt his eyes turning to hers, she winked knowingly. The girl loved to provoke him, but deep inside she was really curious to this unknown interest of his to the red head.
Jellal narrowed his eyes, feeling that his black haired friend was mocking him somehow, but decided to ignore it, he was getting used to it by now.
Erza searched around for a certain person and locked eyes with Sting and Rogue, both staring at her with those proud eyes. They were both pleased to see the red head's angry stare. Minerva joined both her colleagues and stared at the Fairy Tail president, smirking.
Erza didn't dare to take off her eyes from those three, as it would seem she lost the staring contest occurring only for them. She locked her eyes with the other girl, frowning. The red head was really angry towards those cowards, how dare they ambush her like that.
Not only that, but before she and her blue haired companion came into the scene, Erza messaged Ultear to know about how the match was going and her friend told her.
"It's going well, like you asked, we verified everything before the match and we found some of the material was intentionally damaged, just as you predicted. But don't worry we changed everything without anyone noticing it."
That made the red head even more pissed at the Sabertooth team, not only did they attack her but they were targeting her friends as well.
The tension was rising between the three, while Natsu kept arguing with Gray and Gajeel about who should go next. Jellal was talking to Ultear or more like trying to ignore her teasing… and Lucy was trying to stop Natsu and the others.
Gildarts approached the big group confused but shrugged and decided to break the ice.
"What are you doing? Let's keep moving."
They all suddenly stopped and faced their teacher, Erza breaking eye contact with the Sabertooth students.
"I see Miss Scarlet is also here, let's go then." Gildarts added as soon as he got a glimpse of Red.
The teacher pointed out at two cars consisting of 6 places each, both color black.
"6 seat cars, you are five each and two of us will be driving, me and another teacher." Gildarts explained, then when he saw Lucy desperate stare he added. "Lucy, you can go with Fairy Tail's team, I think we can manage to enter one more person."
Lucy jumped happily and dragged an excited Natsu and Gray with her to the first car.
"Sabertooth students can get in the other one, there is already someone inside who will drive you all to the place." Gildarts said, looking at the other school students.
Minerva raised her chin and walked away to the other car where Rufus and Orga were already waiting for them, Sting and Rogue tailing behind the girl.
"Well, have fun!" Ultear shouted to Fairy Tail's team, she wouldn't go in the same car. She glanced at Jellal still beside her and whispered. "Take care of the president." The girl winked and went off her way to the river, she would take another car with the rest of Fairy tail's students who were curious enough, but they would be late.
Jellal brushed off his thoughts about that last comment and made his away to the car where everyone was already in. Erza was in the front seat beside Gildarts, the driver. Gajeel was just behind with a now blue haired boy. Natsu, Lucy and Gray were at the back seats trying to get space between them but failing miserably.
"Lucy how come you have such a big ass." Natsu muttered.
"I…I have a normal… Why do you have to be such an idiot Natsu?" Lucy shouted angry, trying to punch Natsu but being difficult to do so made her even angrier.
"Stop moving around your fire head." Gray spat, starting yet another fight.
Jellal sighed and wondered how their teachers could keep up with such a weird class.
Erza held the urge to punch all of them and concentrated in the next match, the rafting. She was deciding if participating or not, which was a difficult decision. If the girl participated she could end up making her team lose and not only that, her wound could open again which would technically be bad for her and also the others would see it and guess that something happened. But, if she didn't participate they would assume something was also wrong, because the red head never declined a challenge.
As many thoughts crossed her mind, she didn't even realized when they arrived at the top of one of the small mountains where the rafting would begin. The river in front of them was not that large and plenty of rocks could be seen as you followed the rough water, if they weren't careful with the other enemy team, which obviously would try to cheat, they could not only lose but also get hurt, even if this was only a class 3 rafting, which meant that they wouldn't really be in danger by the course, as it was adapted to basic little experience in rafting, but what worried her was not the way down the white water or the rocks, it was the coward enemy team and their methods.
As soon as everyone was out of the car, Gildarts asked. "So, did you decide the teams already?"
Each member was looking at each other unsure, waiting for Erza or someone to say something, as Erza was about to answer, Gildarts, tensing something was wrong, decided to propose something he thought about, that should work to avoid insecurities. "How about doing this more interesting?"
Minerva frowned, not liking where this was going.
"It would be a shame if we chose the experienced people to just go in and win the game." The teacher said, half looking at the Sabertooth team, he knew they tried cheating at the Rock climbing, so if they prepared something in advance with their team, this would at least break that plan.
"And… What are you thinking about?" Erza asked confused.
"Random teams." Gildarts announced happily. "We just have to do as we did to choose the different matches."
Erza wasn't sure what the teacher had in mind, but at least with this, she had a chance to really not participate in it without any suspicions, it was perfect.
"I agree with that." Jellal said, thinking the same as Erza.
"Oi, wait, but I do want to participate, what if I don't get chosen?" Natsu interjected, feeling betrayed.
"Shut up Natsu. Weren't you fighting over it before? Like this no one can say anything about it." Lucy pointed out.
Minerva was angry with their teacher's perspicacity but decided to agree with them. "Alright."
She didn't want to show inferiority or making them suspect she actually planned to enter the game with Sting and Rogue, they surely had something planned. But the girl wasn't about to make them know that, she was sure they could win against those brats either way.
Gildarts nodded to both groups and with a small bag in both hands he told them he would pick three papers inside to each team.
After he got six small papers, three at his right and three at his left, he opened them one by one and said out loud the results.
"For Sabertooth's team, the chosen ones will be: "Sting… Rufus... And Orga."
"Tch." Minerva hissed, not happy.
"For the Fairy Tail's team…" Everyone was staring at their teacher waiting for it. Erza was tensed, she hoped her name was not in those three small menacing papers. "Jellal…"
Jellal unfolded his arms, he wasn't expecting to participate in this one but he was happy he was the one getting chosen instead of a scarlet haired girl.
Natsu indignated, said. "What, why him? What about m…"
"Natsu…" Gildarts announced, ignoring him.
"Yes, I knew it, the papers chose me cuz they know I am the best." Natsu bragged happily.
Lucy rolled her eyes at her friend's stupid change of behavior in less than one second.
"And.. Erza." Gildarts said, the last name making some of the people there tensing up.
Erza looked down, not liking her luck these past days. But she couldn't really show that she didn't want to participate. In fact, she did want to participate, if it wasn't for her wound, but now she was worried she would slow down the team.
"Erza, we will win for sure." Natsu thumps up her, proud of their team.
The red head smiled confidently, she knew with Natsu at least on her team they wouldn't lack energy, they could do this!
Jellal looked at both unsure of the outcome, this was a sport that made them paddle and it would be hard to the red head.
They went next to the already two inflatable rafts, ready to be used. The security team made their way to the student group, explaining them the rules while making them wear lifejackets.
"It's ok, don't make too much effort with your arm, I will cover for you." Jellal whispered, while everyone was busy preparing.
Erza jumped slightly at this but decided to say nothing about it, she didn't really want for anyone to help her or be a burden to anyone, but she couldn't really refuse his help right now.
"Now, please be careful and we will be waiting for you all down at the end of the course." Gildarts said.
"Good luck you three!" Lucy shouted, she was standing with Gray and Gajeel next to the car.
Gray was looking everywhere but at Natsu, he expected the pink haired boy would brag about being chosen and not him, if he did as much as glance briefly at his friend.
The three members of Fairy High got on their boat at the same time the other team did.
Minerva smirked evilly, even though she wasn't participating, the girl was surely full of herself.
Sting and Rufus smirked back, thinking how they would win no matter what with what they would do to them.
"Ready…. Start!" One of the responsible shouted, starting the match as two others pushed both inflatable boats down the small mountain. "Good luck!"
"Let's goooo!" Natsu shouted.
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AN: Yes it is finally starting, the rafting.
I skipped Gajeel's match because this is a JERZA centered fanfiction so I thought about not wasting too much time with simple stuff like that, I'm really sorry.
