A/N: Hello peeps! Guess who managed to update within a month? This girl! Oh well, I hope this makes up for my slow updates! Just this last chapter of filler before the main storyline can go on.
_-Senji POV-_
I swear that the guild hall used to look different. When me and Natsu were young I had snuck in with him spending entire days sitting at a back table or on the second floor S-class balcony watching the daily proceedings. But the hall we now stood in front of was an entirely new building. According to Natsu, a rival guild had destroyed the previous hall and they had to rebuild. A couple of members from that same guild also joining FairyTail.
I stood beside Gray as Natsu flung open the doors with the same, "I'M BACK!" he used when we were younger. It warmed my heart to know that he hadn't changed too much and lost his crazy cheer. Scattered welcome backs and shouts to shut up from a raven haired man next to a girl I recognized as Levy made me smile. I had to dodge a girl with blue hair who had pretty much sprinted and glomped onto Gray.
"Gray-sama! Juvia missed you!" She cried as the poor ice mage tried to push her off.
"Get off me Juvia!" Gray struggled with the smaller girl, but I could see that he didn't want to really hurt her, more just to get her to let go.
I moved to help him, noting the anger in Natsu's features, "Come on, he said to get off."
"No! Gray-sama is Juvia's! We're gonna have 30 children!" She cried, latching back on to Gray who groaned in annoyance.
I looked at Gray with hidden laughter, "30 children?" He shook his head and went to push her off again. "Juvia, get off. I'm not interested in you." He sighed.
"Why? Gray-sama isn't dating anyone, right? So Gray-sama should just date Juvia!" I chuckled a little as she reoccupied herself with 'her' Gray-sama.
"Actually, that's where you're wrong." Gray grinned. "I am dating someone."
Juvia shook her head. "That's a lie! Who is this new love-rival!"
"Me." Natsu pushed her off of Gray moved between the two. "But there is no competition. You were never going to get him." A rare seriousness crossed his features and I couldn't help but feel bad for Juvia.
"Lies!" She cried, "Gray-sama is Juvia's"
I jumped slightly as Natsu growled, low an feral at the girl, shutting her up. "I suggest you go away, right now." He warned, lighting one arm aflame and watching with pride as she backed away before running around the pair and pushing out the hall doors as a crack of lightning pierced the clouds, sharp and quick.
The two sighed and glanced at one another. "Well well, who was that little whirlwind of trouble?" I asked with a low whistle.
"Eh? Oh, that's Juvia. Our resident water mage and my stalker." He replied with a frown.
"Natsu's going to have some trouble then." I sighed.
"That girl...is so hard to deal with." Gray sighed.
"But all least she backed off." I looked at Natsu who was looking around the hall.
"For now." Natsu groaned, reaching out for Gray's hand before realizing where they were and switched to grab my hand instead. "We've got to tell Gramps that you're here, he should be in his office."
"He's still alive? Thought he would've keeled over by now." He looked as if he'd kick the bucket when I first saw him. God knows how old he is now.
"Nah, but we put enough stress on him that anyone would be surprised." Gray grinned guiltily as both him and Natsu were the cause of most of that stress.
"Let's go see the old man before that idiot comes back with more professions of love. " Natsu tugged me towards the stairs but not before a girl with white hair stopped us as we were passing her on the way.
"Welcome back you two." She smiled, but pretty much shoved Gray out of her way as she noticed I was there. It was interesting to watch the ice mage shoved by this smaller girl. Not that I would sa that aloud.
"Who is this Natsu He looks just like you." She questioned.
"Senji, my brother." He turned to me, "You remember Mira, right?"
This is Mirajane? She smiled sweetly, but I couldn't seem to wrap my head around the idea that this is the same girl who used to be so tomboy-ish. I didn't say anything but smiled back. It's not like I interacted with many of the members more than once anyway. They'd have no reason to remember someone like me anyway.
"Nice to meet you Senji." Mira turned back to Natsu, "Where have you been hiding him?"
He looked taken aback for a moment. I could see the gears turning in his head and decided to take pity on my poor twin, "I've been in Bosco studying. There's a lot of useful magic out there and a lot to learn." It was half-true. I had spent some of my time over there studying magic, but that talk is for another time.
"Ah, maybe you can show Natsu a thing or two then." She chuckled.
"Maybe." I leaned against the stairwell's wall as Gray spoke up, "Mira, is Makarov in his office?"
"Hmm, oh. Yes, he is." Mira stepped aside to let us pass, "See me at the bar later boys." She cooed, leaving us on the steps. After she'd rounded the corner towards the bar, we continued upstairs. Makarov's office was tucked towards the end of the hall. A golden light illuminating the dim hallway poured from the slightly open door.
"Hiya Gramps. We're back!" Natsu grinned as he entered the office. A short plump man seated on the edge of the desk filtering through some papers. He simply held out a hand as he read through a page he'd been holding. Gray set his bag beside him and pulled out the report he'd written the night before.
"No destruction for once." Makarov chuckled, "That won't last long."
"You don't have much faith in us do you Gramps." Gray sighed, slinging his bag back over his shoulder.
"Not in clean jobs, no." He looked up, spotting me lingering near the door behind Natsu.
I almost laughed as he looked between me and Natsu. I wasn't surprised. I didn't have much of a presence so even though I had met him before, his eyes showed no recognition. "Did you two somehow manage to botch a simple house sitting job?" His tone wasn't angry, more so amused as he slipped of the desk and waddled (dare I say cutely for such a short stature) towards me.
"No, sir. I'm Senji, Senji Dragneel." I smiled, holding out a hand, "Nice to meet you Makarov."
"Are you sure you're this idiot's brother?" The old man grinned slyly as Natsu shot him a look. "You have such good manners."
"Yes. If you couldn't tell by our identical looks. We are related." I replied.
"Well my boy, are you wanting to join this guild of idiots?" Makarov led me closer to his desk, jumping back atop it.
"Of course." I didn't plan on coming back to freeload off my brother. I wanted to join the guild, especially since I was a mage as well.
"What kind of magic do you use?" Makarov asked as he picked up a stamp.
"Same as Natsu." I held a hand before me, willing my magic forth from my veins forming a bright blue flame dancing across my fingertips. "The only difference is the color of my flame."
"Oh, are you a dragonslayer also?"
"Yes, Igneous taught me." Natsu laughed lightly, I could tell that he was reminiscing back to that time. He caught my gaze and smiled.
"Poor you." He teased.
"Lucky, you mean. At least Igneous trained me out of motion sickness." I shot back, letting the flame disperse. "Poor you."
Gray looked between the two of us with amusement. He moved towards Natsu and ran a hand through his hair. "Maybe Senji can help you though it." He suggested and Natsu just frowned, clearly not looking forward to it.
"Well my boy, I think you arrived at just the right time." Makarov chuckled, "What color and where would you like your mark?"
I glanced over to Natsu. I didn't to accidentally get my mark in the same spot. Although I was planning on having it on one of my shoulders. Since Natsu had his on his right shoulder... "Left shoulder and blue."
I pulled my sleeve up, revealing the mentioned spot and mover for the little old man to stamp it. "Well my boy, Welcome to FairyTail." There was a slight tingling and a rush of magic intertwining with my own as he pushed the stamp against my arm. A sense of pride welled within my stomach as I couldn't help but show it off immediately to Natsu like a child with a new toy would to his friends.
My brother ruffled my hair, a wide grin across his face. Even Gray had the same silly grin.
It was then that I had fully sunk in that I could stay with my brother and it felt fucking amazing!
Makarov slipped off his desk and to the door calling back to us, "Come boys, I have an announcement to make," he looked at me, "no, two big announcements to make." Looking at one another we all shrugged and followed the tiny master downstairs where the hall was rowdy as it ever could be with perhaps every member that was able present, even Juvia who was sitting next to a rather scary raven with a lot of piercings. We settled close to the bar where Mira was passing around drinks and a brunette who was obviously drunk trying to hit on me. It wasn't long until Makarov spoke, his voice booming around the room and everyone falling silent.
"Listen up! It's that time of the year again! It's time for this year's S-class trials!" Immediately the quiet room was swept with chatter and cheers. He went on, "This year's candidates are as follows:
"Cana Alberona!"
"Levy McGarden!"
"Elfman Strauss!"
"Juvia Lockser!"
"Freed Justine!"
"Mest Grider!"
There was a slight pause for the master to take a breath and I could feel Natsu and Gray tense up beside me. They were anxious and I could take any amount of guesses why. But I knew how big of an event this was; since only a select few could be chosen. I watched Makarov shoot a proud look towards the two tense boys before continuing.
"Lastly, Gray Fulbuster and Natsu Dragneel!"
Natsu and Gray cheered beside me. I had to physically block my ears but still found myself cheering along. I was happy for them and looked forward to the next one, hoping that I could become S-class as well. I wasn't going to let my brother pull ahead for too long. Call it sibling rivalry or whatever, I wanted to be on an even surface as him, standing back to back on any battlefield we find ourselves on. Natsu was punching the air and shooting strings of cocky lines to all the other contestants. Honestly, I couldn't have expected anything else.